Heat Secret Workouts for Bayless and Mayo
Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 5:11 am
If the Miami Heat's recent activities are any indication, they are not going to select Kansas State forward Michael Beasley with the No. 2 pick in Thursday's NBA draft.
With the first selection, the Chicago Bulls are leaning strongly toward drafting Memphis point guard Derrick Rose. While the Bulls say they won't announce their decision until draft night, Bulls GM John Paxson admits that Chicago is "probably leaning a certain way."
ESPN.com has been reporting since the draft lottery that Heat president Pat Riley has reservations about Beasley. While Beasley is a talent, Riley seems to be uncomfortable with his personality and seems dead set on finding a point guard to pair in the backcourt with Dwyane Wade.
To that end, Riley staged two separate secret workouts in Miami on Tuesday. The first, a source told ESPN.com, was for Arizona point guard Jerryd Bayless. The second was for USC guard O.J. Mayo, who confirmed to ESPN.com that he worked out for the team.
Sources told ESPN.com's Andy Katz on Tuesday night that Mayo was even told by Heat brass -- which included Riley, general manager Randy Pfund and coach Erik Spoelstra -- that he is in contention to be selected outright at No. 2.
But there are also indications the Heat are shopping that pick and could select Mayo or Bayless lower after acquiring another asset.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2008/news/story?id=3459696
The article goes on to say that Bayless had an amazing workout and shot the lights out. Riley said that he can see Bayless as a starting PG in the league in the form of Chauncey Billups, and Mayo could be Gilbert Arenas type PG.
Then there was another rumor about us trading for the pick sending Wilcox,Petro and #4 for Blount and #2, I guess Miami wants Jeff Green but Presti wont give him up.