While the Suns wait to see if their offer sheet for Eric Gordon is matched by the Hornets, Phoenix is already working on Plan B. The Suns are meeting with O.J. Mayo today, as reported by Craig Grialou of ArizonaSports.com. Mayo himself confirmed today via Twitter that he has arrived in Phoenix to visit the club.
Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported earlier this week that the Suns plan to "strongly" pursue Mayo if the Hornets retain Gordon, which is expected. Mayo is said to be seeking more than mid-level money, and if a $13MM+ first-year salary for Gordon is cleared from their books, the Suns will have plenty of flexibility to make the former third overall pick a sizable offer.
The Pacers were also thought to be a contender for Mayo, but the team's signings of Ian Mahinmi, D.J. Augustin, and Gerald Green seem to have reduced the odds of Mayo landing in Indiana. The Timberwolves could also be in the mix for if their offer sheet for Nicolas Batum is matched, and the Celtics have been mentioned as a possible fit as well, though that would require a sign-and-trade and might be a long shot.
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Health wise, this moves makes more sense then the max offer to E.Gordon. Now if this doesn’t happen, Plan C should be plucking M. Brooks from the Nets (if possible)