# Rumor: OJ Mayo to the Clippers?



## leidout (Jul 13, 2005)

Pincus: Mayo Linked to Clippers?



> Vernon, who is close to the Grizzlies organization and was the first to break the Kwame Brown trade (kidding, the Pau Gasol/Los Angeles Lakers blockbuster), noted to "keep an eye on the [Los Angeles] Clippers for a possible OJ Mayo deal ([Eric] Bledsoe/ [Al-Farouq] Aminu/ [Chris] Kaman possibles)."
> 
> He also noted that team owner Michael Heisley "loves OJ and wants to keep," but that if Coach Lionel Hollins is going to keep Mayo in his current, limited role, "he might be persuaded to OK a deal."


After the suspension, I've gotta think the Clippers gain a bit of a negotiation advantage. The article goes on to say Kaman is the centerpiece here and Bledsoe is very unlikely to go.

This seems like a bizzare trade though, why would the Clips need Mayo? We need a SF, Bledsoe & Gordon are the backcourt of the future.

It would be nice if Thabeet were tossed in as filler, I think Del ***** could turn him into a decent back up.


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## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

I don't know why Kaman is thrown in there, because that basically requires it to be blown out to include several players coming back from the Grizz. Bledsoe and Aminu together work salary-wise, but I don't see how you can play Mayo and Gordon together unless you turn O.J. into a point guard. The only reason I could see Kaman being included is if the Grizz decided they were going to pay Randolph this summer and not Gasol, and are including Marc and getting something like Minny's pick back. If this isn't completely made up, and indeed has legs, there are many unanswered questions left.


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## leidout (Jul 13, 2005)

Bogg said:


> I don't know why Kaman is thrown in there, because that basically requires it to be blown out to include several players coming back from the Grizz. Bledsoe and Aminu together work salary-wise, but I don't see how you can play Mayo and Gordon together unless you turn O.J. into a point guard. The only reason I could see Kaman being included is if the Grizz decided they were going to pay Randolph this summer and not Gasol, and are including Marc and getting something like Minny's pick back. If this isn't completely made up, and indeed has legs, there are many unanswered questions left.


Yeah I agree, this trade just doesn't make sense from either side.


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## HB (May 1, 2004)

Pointless trade.


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## E.H. Munro (Jun 22, 2004)

Bogg said:


> I don't know why Kaman is thrown in there, because that basically requires it to be blown out to include several players coming back from the Grizz. Bledsoe and Aminu together work salary-wise, but I don't see how you can play Mayo and Gordon together unless you turn O.J. into a point guard. The only reason I could see Kaman being included is if the Grizz decided they were going to pay Randolph this summer and not Gasol, and are including Marc and getting something like Minny's pick back. If this isn't completely made up, and indeed has legs, there are many unanswered questions left.


But that might not be a bad idea. Marc Gasol/DeAndre Jordan would be a pretty solid duo at the 5. Mayo would be the fill in for Gordon in the short term, and in the long term be the combo guard off the bench. They'd have enough offense out of the guard position then to live with Aminu at the SF spot. Assuming that Kaman & Minnesota's 2012 first are enough for Mayo/Gasol.


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## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

Oh, I don't necessarily think that's a bad trade, just the only thing I could think of that made including Kaman reasonable. Kaman and the 2012 first probably doesn't quite get it done, but including Bledsoe(largely unnecessary if Mayo's there, valuable to Memphis because they have no backup point) and a second rounder may get it there.


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## CosaNostra (Sep 16, 2010)

I don't see any use for OJ Mayo. Eric Gordon plays the same position, only better.


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## leidout (Jul 13, 2005)

Bogg said:


> Oh, I don't necessarily think that's a bad trade, just the only thing I could think of that made including Kaman reasonable. Kaman and the 2012 first probably doesn't quite get it done, but including Bledsoe(largely unnecessary if Mayo's there, valuable to Memphis because they have no backup point) and a second rounder may get it there.


Bledsoe has the talent to be a better PG than Mayo. Not that Bledsoe is a better overall player, but Mayo fits much better as a SG... where we have Gordon.


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## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

leidout said:


> Bledsoe has the talent to be a better PG than Mayo. Not that Bledsoe is a better overall player, but Mayo fits much better as a SG... where we have Gordon.


Yes, but Mayo can be a Jason Terry-like influence off the bench, and Gasol gives you a good center rotation with DeAndre(which is necessary come playoff-time). If it's just Mayo coming back to the Clippers I wouldn't send out both Bledsoe and Aminu, but if Gasol's also on the table then you have to consider it. Essentially, my feelings play out like this:

Kaman/Aminu/Bledsoe for Gasol/Mayo/additional contracts(Thabeet?) is a steal for the Clippers

Kaman/Bledsoe/Minny's pick for Gasol/Mayo/contracts is something you have to think about, but isn't a home run

Kaman/Bledsoe/Aminu/Minny's pick for Gasol/Mayo/contracts is too much.


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## CosaNostra (Sep 16, 2010)

Mayo has been coming off the bench this year and hasn't really been anything special. His skillset and Eric Gordon's are fairly redundant. I like what Bledsoe brings as a PG more than what Mayo brings as a 6th man. Gasol and Kaman are a wash honestly.


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## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

Eh, if you think Bledsoe is going to wind up being something special then there's always something to be said for holding onto that Minny pick for something better. However, don't fall in love with your young kids(who aren't stars) at the expense of improving the team, it's the trap Portland fell into(well, that and building around the structurally unsound) and OKC is starting to look like they might make the same mistake.


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## CosaNostra (Sep 16, 2010)

I don't think Bledsoe will be anything special, but he is certainly a starting quality point guard, and a valuable asset on a Griffin/Gordon core.


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## LA68 (Apr 3, 2004)

CosaNostra said:


> I don't see any use for OJ Mayo. Eric Gordon plays the same position, only better.


Memphis is looking to get rid of Mayo so he would come cheap. No Kaman in this deal. If its Aminu/Bledsoe for Mayo, I'd jump on it ! 

Mayo and Gordon in the backcourt could be deadly. Mayo can run the point. And if it doesn't work, Mayo really doesn't make much and his contract is almost done anyways. 

Losing teams like the Clips don't need specific positions. They need players who produce. Mayo needs a change of address. Its basically a low risk move. 

Why trade Kaman ? You just have two capable centers, very few teams have that.


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## Bledsoe12 (Jan 3, 2011)

I think perhaps where this is a good idea is that the point guard position is very mercurial for the Clippers. Sure, Baron Davis has been playing phenomenal lately, but assessing his Clippers tenure by all two and a half years he has been a dissapointment. Let's not forget that Baron didn't start playing well until Donald Sterling publicly heckled him. My guess is that despite the great play of Davis as of late there are still worries that he may revert to bad form. If that were to happen then the only point guard we have to rely on is Eric Bledsoe, who is young and has potential but is still too wreckless when it comes to leading the offense. He has showed some ability to distribute well, but if you all notice he relys on speed so much that he commits turnovers or flings a pass so hard that teammates will miss. Lastly, let's not forget that after Eric Gordon that 2 spot is thin. Bringing in O.J. Mayo would be a great idea and using him as a combo guard would be perfect. That way we could have someone in the backcourt to take over the 2 if EJ gets hurt again, or start him as the 1 if Baron reverst to old form. Either way it's a good insurance plan to acquire him. I would be willling to part with Kaman and possibly Aminu or a pick for O.J. Mayo.


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## Bledsoe12 (Jan 3, 2011)

Kaman is a great player..when healthy. He reminds me of Andrew Bynum in that they are both talented and can be in the top ten among centers. However, what good is a player if he is only in 30-40 percent of your games. That's the issue with Kaman. For now DJ is a adequate center, and he does have some qualities that are better than Kamans, such as defense. Also, Kaman tends to shrink in the presence of a good power forward. Sure he had a 19 ppg and 9pg season last year but that was with Rhino as the power forward. Look at the years when he was playing with Brand and the few games he was in with Blake his scoring average goes from 19 ppg to 11-13 ppg a drastic dropoff. Again Kaman is a good player, but health is a major factor and he has missed way too many games to be relied upon.


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## Bledsoe12 (Jan 3, 2011)

Bogg said:


> Eh, if you think Bledsoe is going to wind up being something special then there's always something to be said for holding onto that Minny pick for something better. However, don't fall in love with your young kids(who aren't stars) at the expense of improving the team, it's the trap Portland fell into(well, that and building around the structurally unsound) and OKC is starting to look like they might make the same mistake.


I like this quote Bogg. I think that you can become a playoff team by building from within, but it can only get you so far. Most of the teams that have built from within have been successfull but have hit a wall after a few years. Look at Portland, Atlanta, Utah. These are teams that have made the playoffs with essentially homegrown pieces, but the problem is that they topp off at like the 5th or 6th seed in their conferences and exit in the first or second round. I see OKC as possibly sharing the same fate unless they also bring in some free agents to address needs.


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## leidout (Jul 13, 2005)

Bledsoe12 said:


> I like this quote Bogg. I think that you can become a playoff team by building from within, but it can only get you so far. Most of the teams that have built from within have been successfull but have hit a wall after a few years. Look at Portland, Atlanta, Utah. These are teams that have made the playoffs with essentially homegrown pieces, but the problem is that they topp off at like the 5th or 6th seed in their conferences and exit in the first or second round. I see OKC as possibly sharing the same fate unless they also bring in some free agents to address needs.


Outside of the Spurs, whose scouts are outraguously better than the rest of the league... (c'mon Parker #28, Ginobili #57(!!), Bowen undrafted, etc), I agree that homegrown talent will only get you so far.

The Clippers are essentially a playoff team right now, if you look at the past couple of months, they're playing above .500 and I expect that will carry over to next season. But I just don't see the logic of trading a quality center for a guy destined to be a backup guard. Especially when there are much bigger fish to land like Melo, Nene, Iguodala, etc who can be big contributors to the starting lineup.


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## Damian Necronamous (Jun 10, 2002)

The Clippers have more than enough assets to get a deal done for O.J. Mayo. However, Mayo is a pure SG, and so is Eric Gordon. If O.J. is unhappy coming off the bench in Memphis, why would he be OK with it in LA?

Gordon is a better offensive and defense player. I don't see why the Clippers would pursue a trade for him - I really don't.


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## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

leidout said:


> But I just don't see the logic of trading a quality center for a guy destined to be a backup guard. Especially when there are much bigger fish to land like Melo, Nene, Iguodala, etc who can be big contributors to the starting lineup.


Again, I only said it made sense if you were Gasol back as well, and even then it isn't a home run. Regardless, Kaman and young guys for Mayo only works if it's part of a much larger deal, so as I said, it's either unfounded speculation or something very significant is being omitted from the story. 




LA68 said:


> Why trade Kaman ? You just have two capable centers, very few teams have that.


Kaman has to go next year partially because he'll be turning 30 and already has an established history of getting injured, but mostly because he'll be a large expiring contract that can be paired with the Clippers first round pick on draft night and/or Minny's 2012 #1 plus young players (Bledsoe and Aminu come to mind). Being able to offer that kind of package is huge for any team that's looking to move a star and rebuild in earnest, and it's the Clippers best shot at landing that third guy to fill out their core.


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## leidout (Jul 13, 2005)

After Gordon went down, that kind of ruined any outside shot at the playoffs. So trading for someone now isn't going to do much this year. I hope the Clippers just sit Kaman out for most of the year, maybe give him a showcase for the last 10 games and try to pull a huge trade in the offseason. 

Kaman, Baron, Aminu, Minnesota's 1st, Clippers 1st should be enough to land a superstar...


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## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

I think it'd be interesting if the Clippers threw a massive package at the Wolves to get Beasely and the rights to Rubio. Even though Rubio's supposed to be a bad perimeter shooter, if you surround him with three 20ppg games in Gordon, Beasely, and Griffin plus a good finisher in Jordan there's Rondo-like potential for Rubio to just take over a game with his passing and defense, even if he only gives you 10 points a night. A draft night deal in which the Clippers make their pick for the Wolves and then send the rights to said rookie, Minny's 2012 pick, Kaman's expiring, plus whatever combination of Aminu/Bledsoe/2014 first rounder is necessary for Beasely, the rights to Rubio, and Martell Webster's bad back might be the move that sets the Clippers up for the next decade.


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

You cant play OJ and Eric together. 
Eric plays 36 mins a game. So OJ can only play 12 minutes.

Definately not worth it.


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## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

hroz said:


> You cant play OJ and Eric together.
> Eric plays 36 mins a game. So OJ can only play 12 minutes.
> 
> Definately not worth it.


You can absolutely play them together if OJ's your sixth man, I just wouldn't start him at point guard. If Nate Robinson and Delonte West can form an effective backcourt, there's no reason Mayo and Gordon can't. Additionally, with Mayo's suspension and Memphis' recent hot streak, his asking price has to be steadily dropping. OJ's just sitting there to be picked up for very little, I'd imagine at this point an expiring and a future first might do it.


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## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

In light of recent events, Craig Smith, Rasual Butler, and a first(Minny's if need be, Clip's unprotected 2014 if at all possible) for Gallinari and Mozgov. Get it done.


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## leidout (Jul 13, 2005)

Bogg said:


> In light of recent events, Craig Smith, Rasual Butler, and a first(Minny's if need be, Clip's unprotected 2014 if at all possible) for Gallinari and Mozgov. Get it done.


Minny's pick needs to be off limits. It'll most likely be a top 3 in a very strong draft.

I'm all for giving up our pick for Gallinari though.


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## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

I'm not so sure, there comes a time when you have to stop stockpiling assets and cash in. The Clips have their franchise guy and his sidekick, as well as good enough point guard and center rotations, when everyone's healthy. I say get your third scorer packaged with a center prospect and roll.


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