Mayo Works Out Secretly for LAC

[shrink]

If Clipper trade speculation wasn't already running rampant, there's this:, from the OC Register:

Under a cloak of secrecy Thursday, the Clippers worked out guard O.J. Mayo, at an undisclosed Southern California private facility.

Previous workouts for prospective draft picks by the Clippers have been conducted at the team’s interim practice home, Spectrum South in El Segundo. However, Mayo’s audition was conducted somewhere else.

Apparently, the decision on where to have the workout was made by Mayo’s new agent, Leon Rose, who was selected after Mayo parted ways with his former agent, Calvin Andrews.

http://clippers.freedomblogging.com/200 ... /#more-395

[Jonathan Watters]

And suddenly it makes perfect sense for Riley to be out there talking about Mayo. And as for "offending Beasley", as you put it in the other thread, he doesn't care - he's not drafting Beasley.

Hmm...

[shrink]

Hmm Jonathan -- you've got me thinking .. connecting a lot of loose strings. I'm reposting this from the Trade Board, and would like everyone's thoughts on my madness.

A number of odd events have occured in this draft for which I could offer no rational theory.

First, if the Heat's front office believed this were truly a two player draft, why would Riley be talking up Mayo, and talking down Beasley? He isn't going to affect who CHI picks (they pick first), or in this draft, MIN either (they pick whoever is left from the big three). If Riley truly thinks Beasley is #2, by giving publicly a negative opinion of the kid, he starts the relationship off with insults. even if he's taking Beasley just to trade him, by focusing on his negatives, he's reducing his trade value.

Then this came out, from the OC Register:

Under a cloak of secrecy Thursday, the Clippers worked out guard O.J. Mayo, at an undisclosed Southern California private facility.

Previous workouts for prospective draft picks by the Clippers have been conducted at the team’s interim practice home, Spectrum South in El Segundo. However, Mayo’s audition was conducted somewhere else.

http://clippers.freedomblogging.com/200 ... /#more-395

So why do this secretly?

Here's a wacky theory that fits: MIA is going to trade the #2 to the Clippers.

1. LAC may be one team that would take Mayo over Beasley at #2. Mayo not only is a local hero, he fulfills a position of need (they didn't give the questionable Livingston a qualifying offer), but most importantly, he's a cash cow, selling not only tickets but merchandise.

2. If MIA is trading Mayo and not Beasley, Riley talking up Mayo actually helps his trade value. If he convinces LAC that both are good, the Clippers might wait until MIN picks, and see which has a better deal.

3. Why do this workout secretly, in a location not geared up for prospects? Riley may have demanded this to keep the idea of a trade quiet.

4. Why would Riley go to Chicago to watch OJ Mayo a second time later this week, and maybe ask him to come back to MIA for more interviews next week? If Beasley is the clear #2, this is more of an insult to Beasley. Riley's second close inspection supports the idea that Mayo is a legit #2 pick, and gives Riley one last look if he is truly concerned over Beasley.

5. LAC has a number of assets that MIA would love, and tops on that list is probably Elton Brand. Brand owns a movie producing company in LA, but he has expressed interest in going to Miami in the past. Can the Heat get a better package for the #2 from LAC than they can elsewhere?


Yeah - I know this is unlikely, and its thinking way outside the box. However, its a theory that actually give Riley's actions some goal-oriented rationality. Thoughts? A better explanation?

[4ho5ive]

HEY Quick reply is back awesome!!! and the board looks much better too!

Anyway. I wouldnt think LAC would be so quick to offer up Brand, and if they were, wouldnt Beasley make more sense then, or at least almost as much? I would think Kaman + ____ would be the offer, if there was one to speak of. That said, I cant wait, I am SOO excited, I have been waiting on the draft since late April and its finally here! Cant wait to see how this plays out.

[shrink]

Brand can opt out, and now that Maggette opted out maybe this is even likely.

Beasley might be a better fit than Mayo with Brand gone, but Beasley might be a worse money-making asset for the next five years.

Kaman is certainly a possibility.

[MN Die Hard]

shrink I think the stuff you're suggesting is logical, but I would offer something more simple - Riley is just doing his due diligence. I'm not sure Beasley should be insulted that Miami is exploring all of its options with this very valuable #2 pick.

[PeeDee]

It'd be funny if Chicago made all of this moot by picking Beasley first. I think it's strange that it's a forgone conclusion that Rose is tha guy.

Usually there's at least a little bit of intrigue there (if it's not a Shaq/Duncan type year). But this year, all the intrigue is with Miami.

[shrink]

shrink I think the stuff you're suggesting is logical, but I would offer something more simple - Riley is just doing his due diligence. I'm not sure Beasley should be insulted that Miami is exploring all of its options with this very valuable #2 pick.

Maybe, but if that was true, why do the work-out secretly?

Riley has made negative comments to the press about Beasley's character, length, etc. If you're Riley, wouldn't it make more sense to just keep your mouth shut about Beasley?

[Winter Wonder]

HEY Quick reply is back awesome!!! and the board looks much better too!

Anyway. I wouldnt think LAC would be so quick to offer up Brand, and if they were, wouldnt Beasley make more sense then, or at least almost as much? I would think Kaman + ____ would be the offer, if there was one to speak of. That said, I cant wait, I am SOO excited, I have been waiting on the draft since late April and its finally here! Cant wait to see how this plays out.

In regards to their PF spot. They are pretty huge on Thornton and see him being able to play both the 4 and 3. If Brand is gone, I think they slide Thornton in as there main PF unless they find someone else to fill in. They possibly see their line up as such

1 Mayo / Livingston
2 Mobley / Mayo
3 T. Thomas
4 Thornton
5 Kaman

They pick up the best player they can for any position 1 through 4 and adjust accordingly with their main pieces able to cover all 5 (Kaman a 5, Thornton 3/4, and Mayo 1/2). I may be missing another key piece due to my lack of knowledge of LAC, but I could see this being their gameplan and fearing redundancy with Thornton and Beasley, though I don't think their games as that similar at all.

[Carpe Diem]

A bit too Jack Bauer for me.....of course it is fun to speculate.

[invno1]

Shrink, Why Brand? I dont think his knee is the best at least a step slower. Carlos Boozer makes sense and if the Jazz dont get way into the playoff's next year look for him to bolt & then Mayo Wade Boozer look like a nice core, I cant say the same for Brand. Some of this chatter might really be aimed at Bulls to kinda keep them lulled into sticking with Rose, Who has no outside shot and creates a mess with Bulls roster Hinrich is a stud but his value might not reflect it. Through all of this if Beasley slips to 3 the Timberwolves need to select, and to try and make it work, prolly the biggest scoring player in Timberwolves history. For if they traded Beasley away in a trade down scenerio and Beasley Bombs, The Brass is beheaded and in the wake of the whole Roy vs Foye controversy turns really ugly. This stuff is really hard to process Shrink, Dont think ive ever seen a draft like this.

[shrink]

A bit too Jack Bauer for me.....of course it is fun to speculate.

Well, if you data mine, you'll be able to find clues to rescue me from a survivalist's secret underground bunker that a mountain lion chased me into.

Shrink, Why Brand?

Well, I'm thinking Brand because he's a big vet version of Beasley, Riley loves vets, and Brand tried to join the Heat before.

However, you could be right -- it could certainly be Kaman. Supposedly Kaman was the guy Riley wanted with the fifth pick in the 2003 draft (Kaman went 6th), but riley was over-ruled when the rest of the front office wanted Wade.

Either way, MIA trading #2 (MAYO) to LAC provides a rational explanation for both the secrecy of the LAC work-out and the shots Riley has taken about Beasley's character, his length, his position and his work ethic.

[Jonathan Watters]

We know Riley has made some excellent unconventional moves in the past, so it wouldn't surprise me if he actually does want to trade down and grab somebody in the 6 slot. Given his past drafting history, Eric Gordon and Russell Westbrook sound like good possibilities.

I still wouldn't put much stock in these rumors, and the idea of Beasley being insulted still doesn't make any sense. Beasley has been dealing with (and misleading) the media for years, and certainly understands the game.

If Riley is going to draft Beasley, you can be sure that these comments have been explained to him. Beasley understands the games that are going on and doesn't take it personally in the least bit.

[Jonathan Watters]

Well I just read the latest from DX and Ford. Reading between the lines...

We know Pat Riley loves Elton Brand. He signed Brand to an offer sheet the last time he was a FA, but the Clipps matched it.

We know Udonis Haslem's name has come up in trade talks recently.

We know Riley loves strong, explosive gaurds. From Ford, we know that Westbrook has a promise in the mid-lottery. The Clippers are drafting in the mid-lottery.

We know the Clippers will do whatever it takes to save money, and are in rebuilding mode.

Could we be looking at a basic package of Brand+Westbrook (#6) for Beasley (#2) ? Does Miami have a couple of expirings they could throw in?

The price seems a little steep for Beasley and it is probably just my imagination running wild, but I think you might be on to something there shrink...

[TheFranchise21]

As much as I've bad-mouthed Beasley, I would be cautiously happy we got him at #3 if this trade goes down and LAC takes Mayo. I wouldn't be upset with a trade down either in order to pick up some assets and still get Love.

[shrink]

Could we be looking at a basic package of Brand+Westbrook (#6) for Beasley (#2) ? Does Miami have a couple of expirings they could throw in?

The price seems a little steep for Beasley and it is probably just my imagination running wild, but it might make a little sense...

I just ran the numbers for the Heat. The problem with Brand is that he's at $16.4 mil right now, and LAC can offer him a contract extension at $18,247,525, ($16,440,000 for the Clippers now, and with a maximum 10.5% raise in the last year), so salary matching gets to be tough. MIA has to get to a level within 25% + $100,000. They can give Beasley/Mayo a max deal before LAC picks, but its tough to get to MIA's min offer of $14,518,019 without using Blount (which might mean "no #7")

Here are the pieces:

$3,739,680 Pick #2 ($3,116,400 x 120% )
$6,575,000 Udonis Haslem
$4,260,000 Marcus Banks
$8,513,916 Mark Blount

I see a couple possibilities:

#2 Pick (Beasley or Mayo signed) + Haslem + Banks for Brand + #7

#2 Pick (Beasley or Mayo signed) + Blount + Banks for Brand

Both deals require that Beasley or Mayo are signed so that the deals can meet CBS salary-matching guidelines.

[andyhop]

Could we be looking at a basic package of Brand+Westbrook (#6) for Beasley (#2) ? Does Miami have a couple of expirings they could throw in?

The price seems a little steep for Beasley and it is probably just my imagination running wild, but it might make a little sense...

I just ran the numbers for the Heat. The problem with Brand is that he's at $16.4 mil right now, and LAC can offer him a contract extension at $18,247,525, ($16,440,000 for the Clippers now, and with a maximum 10.5% raise in the last year), so salary matching gets to be tough. MIA has to get to a level within 25% + $100,000. They can give Beasley/Mayo a max deal before LAC picks, but its tough to get to MIA's min offer of $14,518,019 without using Blount (which might mean "no #7")

Here are the pieces:

$3,739,680 Pick #2 ($3,116,400 x 120% )
$6,575,000 Udonis Haslem
$4,260,000 Marcus Banks
$8,513,916 Mark Blount

I see a couple possibilities:

#2 Pick (Beasley or Mayo signed) + Haslem + Banks for Brand + #7

#2 Pick (Beasley or Mayo signed) + Blount + Banks for Brand

Both deals require that Beasley or Mayo are signed so that the deals can meet CBS salary-matching guidelines.

Damn TV companies interfering in the running of sports for no good reason again.

How about a S&T Jason Williams as the filler?

[dunkonu21]

Isn't it only a secret if people don't know about it?

[revprodeji]

MN will need to be involved or we will wreck it. We will take Mayo if he is there, we will trade the Beasley rights to move down for Love if he is there. MN needs to be involved.

[Wingman]

If we move down for Love does that mean we have to deal with Memphis? They don't have much that excites me, assuming Conley is off the table. I like Lowry and Warrick, but if those are the only offers I'd rather keep Beasley.