Source: Celtics Step up Pursuit of OJ Mayo

[GreenEnvy]

If given the choice between Lee and Mayo, I'd choose Lee. He's a better defender and can hit the 3 consistently. People talk about Mayo's ability to create, but he's shot under 41% the last two seasons. What's so great about that?

I believe Green will be able to create offense against opposing benches, and so can Terry. Sullinger hopefully can help too. I rather a dependable shooter like Lee than a flashy inefficient scorer like Mayo.

I'd take OJ over nothing, but not Lee.

[TheTruth34]

People talk about Mayo's ability to create, but he's shot under 41% the last two seasons. What's so great about that?

I'd take OJ over nothing, but not Lee.

Paul Pierce shot .416 and.402 in his 5th and 6th years in the league.  Nothing great about that but he's now a sure-fire HOF'er.

It's about talent.  Courtney Lee is a role player.  A good one at that and he's a great plan B. But there's no comparison to Mayo's talent level.  You'll see that view reflected in their upcoming contracts.

[saltlover]

There's really no way that this is possible.  Mayo is going to want more than Courtney Lee.  Not only is it impossible to straight up sign him for that, it'd be very difficult to even to put a S&T package together for what would likely be at least 6-8 million per year. 

It isn't completely impossible to S&T for him.  Difficult, but not impossible.

Suppose this:
Dooling, signed for $2,695,680 (the max he can be signed for per the base-year compensation rule)
Sean Williams (non-guaranteed for $915,852)
E'Twaun Moore (non-guaranteed for $762,195)
$3 million cash to pay Memphis for taking Dooling
whatever draft pick necessary to facilitate Memphis helping out

If this trade is consummated after KG, Green, and Bass officially sign, but, before JET signs, and we renounce all of the free agents we've never renounced (with Krstic being the only one of even existential value), we will be under the tax after the trade is completed, which allows us to take back 150% + $100,000 of the salary we traded.  That would allow us to pay Mayo $6,660,591 in year 1 of a deal, and give him 7.5% raises, instead of 4.5% which he'd get if he doesn't find a new team via S&T.

Furthermore, because the Grizzlies are over the cap/in tax land, the most Mayo can be S&T for by any team is $6,759,164, which is around $100k more than the above proposal.  So, assuming Memphis is willing to help, we can do pretty well by having them take on only $2.7 mil in guaranteed contracts, and they need combo guard depth anyway, so Dooling is a decent fit in that regard.

Do I think they'll do this?  No, not really, because in general I expect all the other possibilities to happen.  But the C's can make a competitive offer to Mayo.

[HowardAvellino]

People talk about Mayo's ability to create, but he's shot under 41% the last two seasons. What's so great about that?

I'd take OJ over nothing, but not Lee.

Paul Pierce shot .416 and.402 in his 5th and 6th years in the league.  Nothing great about that but he's now a sure-fire HOF'er.

It's about talent.  Courtney Lee is a role player.  A good one at that and he's a great plan B. But there's no comparison to Mayo's talent level.  You'll see that view reflected in their upcoming contracts.

You are right.  But another word for "talent" is "potential".  With Lee, I think you know what you're getting.  Part of that is his mindset.

We don't particularly need another star... particularly one who doesn't consistently perform like a star.  Isn't that the problem we had with Ray?

Mayo thinks he's a star.  Worse than that, as I've posted before, he thinks he's a star point guard:

http://www.3sob.com/may-2012/o-j-mayo-point-guard/3506/

All of this could be overcome if he wanted to play here.  Or, if he were affordable.  Neither of those are true, though.

If OJ Mayo were to fall into our laps, well, ok.  But Lee is a much better fit for the role we actually have available.

[heitingas]

There's really no way that this is possible.  Mayo is going to want more than Courtney Lee.  Not only is it impossible to straight up sign him for that, it'd be very difficult to even to put a S&T package together for what would likely be at least 6-8 million per year.  

It isn't completely impossible to S&T for him.  Difficult, but not impossible.

Suppose this:
Dooling, signed for $2,695,680 (the max he can be signed for per the base-year compensation rule)
Sean Williams (non-guaranteed for $915,852)
E'Twaun Moore (non-guaranteed for $762,195)
$3 million cash to pay Memphis for taking Dooling
whatever draft pick necessary to facilitate Memphis helping out

If this trade is consummated after KG, Green, and Bass officially sign, but, before JET signs, and we renounce all of the free agents we've never renounced (with Krstic being the only one of even existential value), we will be under the tax after the trade is completed, which allows us to take back 150% + $100,000 of the salary we traded.  That would allow us to pay Mayo $6,660,591 in year 1 of a deal, and give him 7.5% raises, instead of 4.5% which he'd get if he doesn't find a new team via S&T.

Furthermore, because the Grizzlies are over the cap/in tax land, the most Mayo can be S&T for by any team is $6,759,164, which is around $100k more than the above proposal.  So, assuming Memphis is willing to help, we can do pretty well by having them take on only $2.7 mil in guaranteed contracts, and they need combo guard depth anyway, so Dooling is a decent fit in that regard.

Do I think they'll do this?  No, not really, because in general I expect all the other possibilities to happen.  But the C's can make a competitive offer to Mayo.

TP

Our chances to get Mayo probably increased, now that Pacers got Gerald Green. There's still Phoenix,Blazers and Mavs using their TE to get Mayo.

So at least we got a chance, I don't like Lee at all.

Mavs only gives out one year deals, so they're out.

Phoenix have capspace, If Blazers match Batum they don't need Mayo. It's Phoenix that are suitors,I thought Minnesota had interest but they got Brandon Roy.

[mctyson]

There's really no way that this is possible.  Mayo is going to want more than Courtney Lee.  Not only is it impossible to straight up sign him for that, it'd be very difficult to even to put a S&T package together for what would likely be at least 6-8 million per year. 

It isn't completely impossible to S&T for him.  Difficult, but not impossible.

Suppose this:
Dooling, signed for $2,695,680 (the max he can be signed for per the base-year compensation rule)
Sean Williams (non-guaranteed for $915,852)
E'Twaun Moore (non-guaranteed for $762,195)
$3 million cash to pay Memphis for taking Dooling
whatever draft pick necessary to facilitate Memphis helping out

This is a deal that more likely will net Courtney Lee, though I am afraid it will cost us a 1st-round pick as well.