O.J. Mayo decides to leave the Dallas Mavericks for free agency. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

While leaving the court, after the last game of the 2012-13 season, O.J. Mayo stopped, acknowledge a few young fans near the locker room entrance, and gave two kids one shoe a piece. This now ceremonious gesture would signify the end of his run in Dallas as a Maverick.

O.J. Mayo has announced today that he will not exercise his player option to return to Dallas next season. The option would earn him $4.2 million next season if he stayed with the franchise.

No big surprise, since Mayo’s production dropped off considerably after the All-Star break in February as Dirk Nowitzki returned to the lineup. In this town, if you can’t play with Dirk, then you can’t play here.  Rick Carlisle vented his frustration after the Memphis Grizzlies game, questioning Mayo’s work ethic and focus.

This will be his second offseason as a free agent since leaving the Memphis Grizzlies in 2012. Dallas was the best fit for Mayo at the time, since most teams, like the Grizzlies, felt he was better suited coming off the bench. The Mavericks gave him the opportunity to be a starter again.

This is only the first domino to in long row of offseason moves for the franchise.

After their last home loss to the Phoenix Suns, it was the players calling out certain individual’s lack of effort to win. Tonight, head coach Rick Carlisle chose to be more specific.

He referred to O.J. Mayo saying, ” He didn’t compete.” Carlisle went on to say how “shocked” he was that Mayo did not answer the call for his current team to have a winning record at the expense of his old team that let him go.

Coach also specified that even during halftime he showed Mayo tape of him standing around on defense to try to get him mentally in the game. Nothing seem to work , as Juice finished the night with only 2 points. He was 1-6 from the field and 0-4 from three-point range.

Mayo was not the only Maverick that played poorly tonight, but as in the past, his performance seemed to frustrate Rick Carlisle the most as he talked about how much preparation and coaching he has done with him to make him a better player.

The Mavs led by as much as 14 points and even went into the second half up by 8. The Grizzlies battled back in the 3rd and 4th quarter scoring a season high for a half, 65 points.

The bottom line now is that for the first time in 12 years the Dallas Mavericks will play the last game of the season without thinking about resting for the playoffs or who they will play in the first round.

Instead they will be fighting to be mediocre.