Guard O.J. Mayo officially signed a two-year contract with the Mavericks on Thursday, with the second year being a player option.
Mayo talked with reporters about his decision to come to Dallas. From the Dallas Morning News:
"I felt that with Kidd and Terry leaving, it's an opportunity to go play with a team that's definitely a contender right away," said Mayo, 24. "A great player like Dirk, after the exit last year, I'm pretty sure he wasn't too happy, so I know he's going to come back this year fired up, as well as the rest of the guys."
Translated: Mayo sees Dallas as an opportunity to start, or at least play a lot, for a team with some talented players. Mayo averaged 12.6 points in 26.8 minutes per game with the Grizzlies last year. He mostly came off the bench the last two years after averaging 38 minutes in a starting role with Memphis in his first two seasons. Again from the DMN:
"I think the last two years of my career, I've been pretty much sacrificing for the betterment of our team. I understood that and did that, but coming here is definitely a fresh start. I'll put my past behind me and come ready to play."
For all the latest news and notes on the Mavericks free agency plans, stay tuned to the SB Nation Dallas story-stream as well as Mavs Moneyball.