Chad Ford just broke it over ESPN.

There's lots of filler involved, but those are the primary names.

i may be in the minority. but to me kevin love is a slightly better version of nick collison. hardly worth the pick they spent on him IMO. a smart, serviceable and solid player no doubt. but i think he'll go down as one of the more overrated picks for being drafted that high.

they must really like him though!

He's a heck of a lot more skilled than Nick Collison. He's much more Wes Unseld than Nick Collison.

he does have much better touch around the rim. and a better jump shot. but i think he's a lot further from unseld than collison right now.

he's got to get a LOT stronger to bang with the big boys in the nba. right now he's limited athletically and doesn't have the body to do what he did in college. i saw him struggle to finish and get pushed around in the ncaas a lot. so i have a hard time seeing him have a career approaching wes unseld unless he really, really improves his body.


he's got nice tools though as far as understanding the game and footwork, ball handling, touch, etc. he's a skilled player no doubt. but i just worry that his skills might be hurt by physical limitations at the nba level. we shall see.

he needs to get a lot stronger?

The guy makes 95-foot shots without leaving the ground!

I LOVE Kevin love, but I have my doubts about him in the NBA and then some. Kid works his ass off, but I don't think you can make this trade nowadays. I hope I'm wrong but I doubt it. You need to be able to move. His instincts are sick though.

When you're playing second fiddle to Al Jefferson, I think your weaknesses get minimized, and your strengths are emphasized, especially if one of them is passing.

And the kid is 19 years old and already has knee problems. He's got the muscle tone of a fat chick, and the speed of one as well. Could I be wrong - hell yeah. But I don't see him developing into a starter, much less an all-star.

The T-Wolves... my third favorite team (they were my second favorite until the Raptors pulled off the JO deal).

Here's the full trade. Minny wins based solely on getting rid of Jaric.


Mayo heads to Memphis, Love to Minnesota in blockbuster trade

By Chad Ford
ESPN.com
Updated: June 27, 2008, 10:52 AM ET

The Minnesota Timberwolves did not hold onto O.J. Mayo for long.

The Wolves have reached an agreement in principle with the Memphis Grizzlies that sends the draft rights to 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 blockbuster deal for both teams wasn't completed until past 2 a.m. ET, some two hours after Boston made the 60th and final pick of the draft, according to The Associated Press.

ESPN.com reported on Tuesday that Wolves GM Kevin McHale was infatuated with Love, but felt that the team had to select Mayo and use him to acquire more assets. Love, a fundamentally-sound post player, should mesh well with the Timberwolves' budding star Al Jefferson.

In addition to landing Love, the Wolves get a sharpshooting 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's and Buckner's contracts are not guaranteed after this season.

Timberwolves fans will likely be reminded of another lottery-swapping move two years ago, when Minnesota selected Brandon Roy, then traded him to Portland for Randy Foye and cash.

Roy went on to become rookie of the year in 2006-07 and an All-Star last season, while Foye has struggled with injuries while showing promise as a floor leader and playmaking perimeter threat.

The Grizzlies get the superstar they wanted in the backcourt in Mayo. They 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 Crittenton.

Is there any debate, ANY at all, that Chris Wallace is the worst GM is the NBA right now?

Between Jaric's 21mil/3 yrs and the Janitor's 13/2yrs, I don't know which one is worse.

I read something from somebody that referred to him as "the contract known as Marko Jaric".

I love this trade for Memphis. At least Jaric can play and Walker is expriing (team option). Keep in mind that Memphis dumped Brian Cardinal and his contract and got Mayo in the process. Mike Miller was not in their long term plans of rebuilding and Memphis isn't going to be much next season anyways. Add to that a steal in picking up Arthur and signing Marc Gasol and they are putting together a squad that might become something special. This team is packed with youth and has a nice trading piece if they part with Conley or Crittenton.

Any team that employs Antoine Walker loses my respect.

I read something from somebody that referred to him as "the contract known as Marko Jaric".
Bill Simmons coined that phrase, call Theo 'Theo Ratliff's Expiring Contract' whenever he spoke of him.