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Grizzlies may keep O.J. Mayo for now

Truth is, Griz management isn’t seriously thinking of dealing Mayo nor is his possible, restricted free-agent status this summer a major concern. Mayo likely will remain with the Griz this season because of his productivity and the Grizzlies’ ability to control his future with the right of first refusal on contract offers.

Although Mayo is eligible to negotiate a long-term contact extension with Memphis by Wednesday, the Griz aren’t compelled to agree to a deal or trade him at the moment.

“It remains to be seen whether something happens or not,” Griz general manager Chris Wallace said about a Mayo contract extension. “If it doesn’t happen I wouldn’t read much into it. We didn’t extend Rudy and resigned him. It’s a floating situation. I wouldn’t say (Mayo) is a lock to be with us after this year and I wouldn’t say he isn’t. There’s so much ground to be covered between now and July.”

Meanwhile, Mayo keeps paving the wave for a productive season.

“I’m happy in Memphis. Don’t get it twisted,” Mayo said. “I love the foundation we’ve built. This is my comfort. I’m good.”

— Reported by Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal

Russell Westbrook says he never considered leaving Thunder

Russell Westbrook reiterated on Sunday, three days after signing a five-year extension, that he never considered leaving the Thunder.

“From day one, this is the spot I wanted to be,” Westbrook said. “The organization believed in me by surprisingly picking me No. 4. A lot of guys doubted me, but from day one this organization supported me.”

Westbrook would have become a restricted free agent if he had not agreed to a contract by Wednesday. But the Thunder’s commitment to him, Westbrook said, made staying for another five seasons a no-brainer.

“I can say this for any player in the league. You want to be somewhere where you’re wanted,” Westbrook said. “I wanted to be somewhere where I had great support, and this is the spot for me.”

— Reported by Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman

Tiago Splitter is developing nicely for Spurs

Finally a fixture in coach Gregg Popovich’s rotation in his second NBA season, Splitter is learning something that he long suspected about the American game: Playing it is more beneficial than watching it.

“You learn more when you play,” said Splitter, the 27-year-old Brazilian who appeared in just 60 games as a rookie. “You learn from what you see every day and get a feel for the game.”

A trip around the league has made Splitter more comfortable and confident on the court, particularly in the low block. He is learning how certain defenders — such as Houston’s Luis Scola and Jordan Hill on Saturday — want to attack him, and, as importantly, how to counterattack.

With Tim Duncan out of the lineup for a 105-102 loss to the Rockets, Splitter exploded for a career-high 25 points off the bench, going 11 of 13 from the floor.

— Reported by Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News

Nets forward Damion James needs foot surgery

Shawne Williams went through vigorous workouts yesterday and is expected to return to the lineup for tonight’s game against the Bobcats after missing the last four games with shin splints.

But the Nets have lost Damion James indefinitely, and he will undergo surgery on his right foot Tuesday to replace the screw he had inserted last year to help repair a fractured fifth metatarsal in the foot.

“It’s disappointing,” coach Avery Johnson said before last night’s 84-74 loss to the Thunder. “Here’s a kid we drafted last year, we had him inked in as his starting three man and in the Eastern Conference … Hopefully the surgery will go well, and for us and him and his career, hopefully we can get this corrected and he won’t have a problem anymore.”

— Reported by Tim Bontemps of the New York Post

Deron Williams dislikes temporary Nets arena in Newark

Deron Williams can’t crack the cold and uncomfortable Rock, so he’s waiting for a better home in Brooklyn.

After another horrendous shooting night for himself and the Nets in Newark, Williams expressed displeasure with the team’s stopgap home court at the Prudential Center, essentially calling it inadequate for basketball.

“I don’t like this arena one bit. It’s a good thing it’s not our arena next year,” he said matter-of-factly after shooting 5-of-18 in an 84-74 loss to the Thunder Saturday night. “Even last year, it just doesn’t feel like our home arena, I don’t know why.”

“It just doesn’t have good visual. The depth perception is not there.”

The Nets (4-12, 1-5 at home), who are scheduled to move to the $1 billion Barclays Center next season, shot a paltry 31% overall, and just 3-of-23 from beyond the arc — leaving the team with a 38% shooting percentage at home and 43% on the road.

— Reported by Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News

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Jay-Z’s 40/40 club in NYC briefly closed for health violations

Jay-Z’s 40/40 Club was shut down for a slew of health-code violations just a day after its celebrity-drenched $10 million relaunch — and now it faces a dreaded “C” grade, The Post has learned.

An inspector found perishable food at dangerously warm temperatures inside the walk-in refrigerator and discovered “hot” food left out on the counter on Thursday, Health Department sources said.

A worker was also seen mixing salsa with his bare hands.

The refrigerator was at a rancid 60 degrees instead of 41 — jeopardizing the safety of 50 pounds of raw chicken wings, five pounds of raw shrimp and 100 turkey burgers, the sources said.

— Reported by Philip Messing and Kevin Fasick of the New York Post

UPDATE FROM TMZ: But Ron Berkowitz, a rep for the club, tells TMZ the motor in one of the refrigerators blew just moments before the health inspector arrived … causing the temperature in the fridge to rise. Berkowtiz says the staff identified the problem immediately and had no intention of serving the food from that fridge. Berkowitz says the fridge was fixed by noon the next day and the club was permitted to re-open.

Metta World Peace having a forgettable season

Friday marked a typical night for Metta World Peace. He missed all four of his shots against Orlando. He was scoreless. And he was benched in the second half.

Typically exuberant and optimistic, he sounded fine.

“I feel good. I feel awesome. Just because my numbers [stink] don’t mean I don’t feel good,” he said. “I can’t control everything. I can’t control not starting. All I can control is going out there and playing hard. I can’t control not being in a rhythm, but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel good.”

World Peace, 32, averaged a career-low 8.5 points last season. Through 15 games this season, he’s averaging 5.1 points and 19.8 minutes. He is shooting 32.3% overall and a woeful 12.1% from three-point range, making four of 33 attempts.

— Reported by Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times

Eric Gordon open to signing Hornets extension

Shooting guard Eric Gordon said he’s willing to sign a long-term contract extension with the Hornets, who have until Wednesday to make that happen. But as the clock ticks away on that deadline, it’s also ticking on the timeline that is keeping Gordon sidelined with a bone bruise in his right knee that has limited the Hornets’ leading scorer to just two games this season.

The question begs, therefore: have the Hornets seen enough in two games, one of which Gordon made the winning shot, to offer Gordon an extension that would keep him in New Orleans for another four or five years? Or does the team wait until the season ends, and with a new owner in place, then possibly commit its resources to an extension, or just allow Gordon to test the market as a restricted free agent?

And will the Hornets be open to satisfying Gordon’s financial demands, whatever they may be?

Gordon, who was ruled out for two to three weeks on Jan. 6 because of swelling in the knee after his second game — a 40-minute outing in a loss to the 76ers — says he’d have no problem putting his name on a long-term contract with the Hornets right now.

— Reported by Jimmy Smith of the New Orleans Times-Picayune

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UNC guard Dexter Strickland out for season

North Carolina junior Dexter Strickland will miss the rest of the season after tearing his right anterior cruciate ligament in Thursday’s win at Virginia Tech.

Strickland was hurt when his knee buckled on a drive early in the second half. The school said Friday that Strickland’s surgery to repair the injury hasn’t been scheduled yet.

“Positive thinking!” Strickland posted on his Twitter account Friday night. “Everything happens for a reason, God always has a plan! Thanks to everyone who is praying for me! I appreciate it!”

The 6-foot-3 guard had started every game for the eighth-ranked Tar Heels, averaging about eight points and shooting a team-best 57 percent while thriving in transition. He was the team’s top perimeter defender and doubled as the No. 2 ballhandler behind point guard Kendall Marshall.

— Reported by ESPN.com

Chris Paul is buying Avril Lavigne’s mansion

Los Angeles Clippers star Chris Paul is planning to stay in town a while … ’cause he’s about to drop $8.5 MILLION on a sick Bel Air mansion that he’s buying from Avril Lavigne … TMZ has learned.

Sources tell us … Paul fell in love with the 12,184 square foot place, which Avril originally listed for $9.5 mil and decided he had to make a move.

The mansion — located in a hoity-toity private community called Bel Air Crest — includes 8 bedrooms and 10.5 bathrooms, a wine cellar, 10-car garage, gym, sauna and a covered outdoor living room.

— Reported by TMZ