Mayo heads to Memphis, Love to Minnesota

[Sam The Man]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2...ory?id=3463045

Mayo heads to Memphis, Love to Minnesota

By Chad Ford
ESPN.com

The Minnesota Timberwolves aren't holding onto O.J. Mayo for long.

Two league sources told ESPN.com that the Wolves have reached an agreement in principle with the Memphis Grizzlies that will send the draft rights of Mayo, Marko Jaric, Antoine Walker and Greg Buckner to the Grizzlies in return for the draft rights to Kevin Love, Mike Miller, Brian Cardinal and Jason Collins.

The deal is a blockbuster for both teams. ESPN.com reported on Tuesday that the Wolves GM Kevin McHale was infatuated with Love, but felt that the team had to select Mayo and use him to acquire more assets.

In addition to landing Love, the Wolves get a sharp-shooting swingman in Miller who can help carry the scoring load from the perimeter. The deal is also a financial boon for the Timberwolves who get the bad contract of Jaric (three years, $21 million) off the books. Walker and Buckner's contracts are not guaranteed after this season.

The Grizzlies get the superstar they wanted in the backcourt in Mayo. The also rid themselves of Cardinal's bad contract (two years, $13 million). The Grizzlies now have a glut of guards on the team with Mayo, Mike Conley, Kyle Lowry and Javaris Crittendon.

[mvpshaq32]

I can see Mayo replacing the loss of Miller, but they lose their a legitimate big man in Kevin Love leaving them again as they were after they traded Pau Gasol. And with their excess guards, who can they pull off a trade with?

[benji]

Pretty great deal for the Timberwolves. Too bad they couldn't trick the Grizzlies into taking Telfair for someone useful.

[Lamrock]

Mayo is my favorite player in this draft, Memphis got raped, losing their best player, picking up the league's worst and Marko Jaric's shit contract.

Minnesota will be awesome in 12 years.

[Sam The Man]

Memphis now gets a good superstar type talent to put next to Rudy.
Minnesota would be pretty happy, but with Love at PF, does that mean you play big Al at C his career? I think he would be much more effective at PF.
Also, Mayo was looking to be in a big market in Minnesota. He would put bums on seats, now from such a large market to Memphis.

[Its_asdf]

No combination of Gay-Love.

[-Young Buck-]

Good move for minny, i dont know what Grizzlies are doing. They should fire their GM.

[GaZuN]

Wow.. That will be another dissapoiting seasson for the Grizzlies.. Really they have such a fool for GM.. I don't see them winnig more than 15 this seasson

[Sauru]

not much love for mayo here lol. i think the griz just feel that mayo is a franchise kind of player so you do whatever you can to get him. now i do agree that if you can land a franchise talent you go for it but what i dont agree with is mayo being that kind of player. however i am still not sold on love in the nba anyway

[Dro]

Stupid deal for both teams. They can't play Love at PF and Jefferson at C, there is not nearly enough size between them. And Memphis gives up exactly what they needed (reliable low-post scorer) for yet another athletic swingman. Memphis really is clueless.

At least Minny came out of it with Mike Miller. They could be solid this year if their youngins step up.

[Air Zoom Kobe I]

Minnesota= 8th seed
Love= ROY
Miller= Potential All-star, Wolves' leading scorer

PG-Telfair
SG-Brewer
SF-Miller
PF-Jefferson
C-Love

[BigGameJames]

No combination of Gay-Love.

Post of the year!

You are going to get me fired I almost fell out of my cubicle laughing when I read that!!! I think this is a crappy deal by a couple of crappy teams. Memphis should fold it's franchise and McHale should have been fired years ago! K love (who looks a lot like K-Fed) will be out of the league in 3 to 4 years, and OJ (never thought anyone at USC would want that nickname again!!!) will not live up to the hype, he'll be a solid pro but not an all-star, he wasn't even that great in college.

[-BHZMAFIA-]

It amazes me how the national media is bashing the Grizz saying its a bad trade for us all because its the Grizzlies. Now, if any other team would've traded Love and a solid player for Mayo, they would've called them the smartest team on draft night. They just hatin' because the GRizzlies are about to get more national televised games. We are going in the right direction. PERIOD. Portland traded away their best player in Randolph a few years back, and see where they're at now.

On top of that, Buckner's contract isn't guarenteed, Walker's contract will be gone next year, and Jaric can still give us a whole lot more than what Cardinal could ever have given us. Buckner is also a better defender than Miller as well. We also got rid of Cardinal's horrible contract. Yea, Jaric's contract is a little worse, but he will produce more than what Cardinal gave us and he brings along a special someone with him. It's like the Grizzlies can't do nothing right when it comes to ESPN. Also, its not even that big of a deal that we lost Love because we did acquire Arthur. We still aren't finished making deals anyway and could possibly still make a splash in free agency or via trade. The Grizzlies got a potential perennial star to play beside an up and coming star in Rudy Gay and thats what Memphis needed. Don't forget they also have Conley, Lowry, Crittenton, Warrick, Marc Gasol, Milicic to go along with Mayo, Gay and Arthur. This team is looking very bright for the future and all those players can ball. Just think how it would look in the next few years when they get more draft picks along with more players via free agency. Getting Mayo with Rudy will also help attract more free agents as well.

Can the Grizzlies get a break? Also, look at what trading away Pau Gasol has got us Arthur, Crittenton, Marc Gasol, cap space and it helped us trigger the deal with Minnesota for that weak piece of crap who can't defend on the inside. Finally, Memphis is about to be put on the map.

Timberwolves didn't get that bad of a deal out of it though. The thing about trading Miller to them is that he won't help them mainly because the Twolves aren't going to be good or better than us. Which is why it was smart that Wallace traded him to a team like the Twolves. He would play good there, but he's definitely not giving them any type of perimeter defense. He's also not a good 2nd or 3rd option because he chokes in crunchtime. He will help them because the defense will collapse on Jefferson in the post. Love was also a good pickup though.

Who would you rather have? Jaric or Cardinal if you wanted to get some production out one of your players? Buckner or Collins/Miller? Yeah, you would rather have Miller, but who has the better defense? Buckner. Both teams got a solid deal for what they needed. Memphis needed better perimeter defense which they will STILL address later on in the summer, they needed a potential perennial all-star and they still got Arthur who is one of the biggest steals in this draft to replace Love.

But, I'll let everyone else be the judge of it, I just know that Memphis can't win nobody over for anything. If we left our roster as it is now, I believe Conley, Lowry, Crittenton, Mayo, Gay, Arthur, Warrick, Gasol and Milicic is an excellent young core. Just to think that they're still going to make deals later on the in the summer too. I bet if we made a deal to get Okafor, ESPN would still say we are a horrible team. You just have to look at how bad people were getting on the Grizzlies just a few months ago. You even had people like Letterman talking bad about themimage. Everything is finally changing and if Mayo becomes what he suppose to become, its a wrap.

Take it for what its worth, but we will be getting a lot more national exposure just how CP3 was with the Hornets, Lebron with the Cavs, etc. It helps us in so many ways.

[BigGameJames]

BHZMAFIA-

A lot of those players belong in the D league dude, sorry but your team sucks bro, only a matter of time before your crappy GM trades away everything you've stockpiled and you start rebuilding again. Your management seems more interested in the bottom line than winning.

[-BHZMAFIA-]

BHZMAFIA-

A lot of those players belong in the D league dude, sorry but your team sucks bro, only a matter of time before your crappy GM trades away everything you've stockpiled and you start rebuilding again. Your management seems more interested in the bottom line than winning.

Que?

So, you telling me that Conley, Lowry, Crittenton, Warrick, Marc Gasol, Milicic ,Mayo, Gay and Arthur belong in the D-League? LA was pissed they got rid of Crittenton because they thought he could be something special. Marc Gasol would've been a lottery pick and at worse a 1st round pick if he was in this year's draft. Conley has the potential to become a great PG in this league. Lowry is a darkhorse who can start for an NBA team. Warrick played well last season and is showing more promise. Rudy, I shouldn't even have to say anything about that.

Mayo is a potential perennial star and he is in a better situation than he was in with Minnesota. Arthur is one of the biggest steals in the draft who was projected to be a top 16 pick. His kidney problem is invalid because he tested well when the Wizards gave him a physical. Darko is the only one left, and he doesn't belong in the D-league, but he isn't THAT bad either. He's still only 23 or so anyways. Tell me why this team is a D-League team? And the fact that we are still going to make a splash via FA or trade so we can only get better. Trading away Pau Gasol got us Arthur, Crittenton, Marc Gasol and cap space. One of those players are bound to become just as good as Gasol was for us. Even his baby brother is alot tougher with the interior D than he will ever be. Arthur is more than likely fierce because all those teams passed up on him so he definitely has something to prove. Crittenton can be a dynamic scorer. I can't believe you said that crap above me.

It is pretty unbelievable to me that the grizzlies get one of the 3 slated superstar potential players, get flexibility and more salary cap room, get the 3rd rated PF by john Hollingers Per estimation and the grizzlies are getting C- grades. If it would have been any other team to do that, the media would have said that said team FLEECED the whole draft. The grizzlies in my mind FLEECED everybody, outmaneuvered everybody and came away with everything they wanted and more in this draft.

But it's the Grizzlies, afterall. They are not going to give us our due until Mayo starts putting up eye popping numbers.

I don't think that most of the so called analysts really understand the financial end of this trade for Memphis. We pick up 4 million dollars for next summer even though we have to swallow an extra 7 million for a year after Cardinal's deal though.

[Jackal]

Ofcourse you'd think they "fleeced" everyone, you're a fan.

[Sauru]

personally i think the griz did the right move is getting mayo. if he turns out like he should then they definetly have the better player. everyone is too high on love imo

[-BHZMAFIA-]

Ofcourse you'd think they "fleeced" everyone, you're a fan.

So

You still got to see where I'm coming from that the deal will only help the team. The only way the deal will look horrible on Memphis part is if Mayo becomes a bust. I'm just happy that our personnel to a risk rather than trying to stay "safe" like what they always do with the exception of the Rudy for Battier trade.

[benji]

They can't play Love at PF and Jefferson at C, there is not nearly enough size between them.

Size is overrated. Elton Brand has been one of the leagues greatest big men when healthy and he's only 6-8. I'm sure Minnesota will survive against the epic 6-11/6-10 "TWIN TOWERS" (Especially that new "fantastic" duo in Toronto.) out there with their hefty 6-10/6-10 guys.

I'm sure they won't mind with the the offensive onslaught they get from Jefferson-Love-Smith-Miller. Plus Brian Cardinal being white might mean he gets time in Minnesota, it's hard to believe he can't play like he did in 2003-04, 2004-05, and 2006-07 for 10-13 minutes still. Oh, and there's Jason Collins, offensively useless, but one of the best defensive big men for spot duty against those epic giants like Shaq and Ilgauskas. And we're forgetting what Chris Richard and Ryan Gomes bring to the party.

Front court is stocked, too bad they have probably the worst point guard rotation out there. Who wouldn't dump Telfair for half the NBDL at this point...

[BigGameJames]

-BHZMAFIA- said
"Mayo is a potential perennial star..."

I guess that remains to be seen, if OJ turns into a star then Memphis did the right thing, I happen to think he'd be better suited as a second option, not the main man. Also you don't thnik that Kwame Brown (worst 1st pick ever) and Darko Milicic (worst second pick ever) belong in the D league? What are you smokin, cause I want a hit of that shit! BTW I live in LA and no one was pissed to lose Crittenton.

[-BHZMAFIA-]

-BHZMAFIA- said
"Mayo is a potential perennial star..."

I guess that remains to be seen, if OJ turns into a star then Memphis did the right thing, I happen to think he'd be better suited as a second option, not the main man. Also you don't thnik that Kwame Brown (worst 1st pick ever) and Darko Milicic (worst second pick ever) belong in the D league? What are you smokin, cause I want a hit of that shit! BTW I live in LA and no one was pissed to lose Crittenton.

Kwame Brown is off the books so he isn't on the team anymore. Instead we got 9 something million in cap space for him. Darko doesn't belong in the D league either. If he is that bad, then he wouldn't have been getting minutes in Orlando/Memphis. The guy is only 23-24 yrs old anyways. The only thing he needs to do is rebound and block shots and I'm pretty sure he will do that this upcoming season. He boxes out very well which helps others get rebounds from the team.

Also, I know plenty of people who were kinda upset that LA didn't really give Crittenton a chance. He is a scoring machine and I hope LA wins a championship soon because Pau's interior defense definitely killed ya in the championship. After Ray Allen crossed over Sasha, Pau just watched him lay the ball up . I'm glad that others are finally starting to see how frustrating Gasol can be at times. Getting Arthur, Crittenton, Marc Gasol (who is better than Pau defensively and bigger), cap space who could still land us a key component and a 2010 1st rounder is definitely better than what Pau would ever give us.

[Jing]

Don't argue with Mafia man, he'll drive a pin into your head, then take a picture of it.

plus his Alpha Kappa Psi bros and sis's will tear you apart with their stepping and clapping XD

[BigGameJames]

-BHZMAFIA-

You definitely make a good argument, I guess only time will tell. Regardless of his piss poor defense I'd rather have Gasol than Kwame "hands of stone," Brown any day of the week, also I'd rather have a proven All-star than a bunch of "might be," all-stars, basically everyone you've named. Not too worried about that interior defense either w/ Bynum coming back, nevertheless our defense was good enough to get us to the finals, which is one more time than Memphis will ever get there!!!

[Air Zoom Kobe I]

So....Millicic>Kwame?

I disagree.

[NovU]

grizzlies been in memphis for awhile and prolly it's about time to relocate grizzlies to some other city? maybe this move will trigger it.