O.J. Mayo Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Bucks Shopping O.J. Mayo

July 1st, 2014 at 8:10pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bucks are shopping O.J. Mayo, according to league sources that spoke with Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter).

It was reported back in May that the Bucks would be willing to trade Mayo, but it was unclear at the time if they were actively shopping him. Now, we know that the Bucks would prefer to exchange the 26-year-old for something else.

Mayo, the former No. 3 overall pick, saw just 52 games of action (23 starts) in his first season with the Bucks, averaging 11.7 PPG, 2.4 RPG, and 2.2 APG. While the injuries certainly weren’t Mayo’s fault, Milwaukee was obviously hoping for more out of the guard after inking him to a three-year, $24MM deal last summer.

Bucks Rumors: Mayo, Stauskas, Young, LaVine

May 20th, 2014 at 12:31pm CST by Chuck Myron

The new owners of the Bucks have broached the subject of a front office purge, but it appears unlikely they’ll follow the path of Grizzlies owner Robert Pera and oust GM John Hammond and assistant GM David Morway this year, as Grantland’s Zach Lowe wrote earlier today. We’ll pass along more from Milwaukee here:

The Bucks would be willing to trade O.J. Mayo, but finding fair value will be a tall order, given the two years and $16MM remaining on his contract, according to Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times. It’s unclear whether the team is actively shopping the 26-year-old, or if he’s just one of many Bucks who aren’t off-limits to a deal.
Still, Milwaukee is almost certain to draft a shooting guard, even if it entails acquiring a pick via trade to select one, Woelfel writes, adding that the team is eyeing Nik Stauskas, James Young, Zach LaVine, Joe Harris, Jabari Brown and Devyn Marble.
There’s a distinct chance that whomever Milwaukee selects with its lottery pick, and perhaps to a lesser degree, its trio of second-rounders, won’t be pleased, as Mark Heisler of Forbes.com details. “What the Clippers used to be, that’s what the Bucks are now,” an NBA GM told Heisler. “The place every agent says, ‘I don’t want my player there.’”

Bucks Rumors: Rivers, Henson, Mayo, Butler

February 19th, 2014 at 3:16pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Bucks are the worst team in the NBA, but that also means they top our reverse standings, with a 25% shot at the No. 1 overall pick if they finish the season in that position. Here’s more on a team with plenty of reason to sell:

The Pelicans are open to moving Austin Rivers, and the Bucks have interest, tweets Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times. New Orleans has shopped Rivers to multiple teams, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insider (Twitter link).
The Bucks are dangling John Henson and could package him with a veteran, perhaps O.J. Mayo, Woelfel writes. The Warriors have interest in Henson, as we passed along earlier today. We covered more from Woelfel’s piece last night.
There’s been talk that Milwaukee would be reluctant to let go of Caron Butler, given the Wisconsin native’s sentimental value, but that doesn’t appear to be the case, according to Woelfel. The Journal Times scribe tweets that the team will either trade him or agree to a buyout if he doesn’t fit the team’s plans.

Bucks Rumors: Trades, Sanders, Smart

January 20th, 2014 at 10:11am CST by Chuck Myron

The Bucks are the only team in the league without at least 10 wins, and they sit atop our Reverse Standings with the NBA’s worst record. Teams in their position usually start thinking about the future at this point in the season, but that’s not the case for Milwaukee, which notoriously avoids bottoming out. The Bucks would be “more than willing” to trade for vets who could help them sneak into the playoffs in the moribund Eastern Conference, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, who has more from Milwaukee:

Bucks management is still “very open” to trading Larry Sanders before the deadline, Amico writes in the same piece, echoing his report from last month. Milwaukee would want to make draft picks the centerpiece of the package it receives in exchange. The team would still have to absorb a significant amount of salary in a deal for Sanders, thanks to the Poison Pill Provision that was triggered when the Bucks signed Sanders to his extension this past summer.
Milwaukee is enamored with Oklahoma State point guard Marcus Smart, Amico says, adding that it would nonetheless be tough to envision the Bucks taking him first overall.
O.J. Mayo, like many on the Bucks, has seen his minutes go up and down, and he tells Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel that the inconsistent rotation is partly to blame for the team’s struggles. “It’s hard to get a rhythm when you don’t know what’s going to happen for you night in and night out,” Mayo said. “You may get six minutes, 30 minutes. There’s no staple to what we’re doing. You can hang in there, compete and keep it close.”
Gary Neal left San Antonio this past summer to sign a two-year, $6.5MM deal with the Bucks, but he misses the winning he enjoyed with the Spurs, as he says to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. “When you’re evaluating job choices, the financial aspect comes into it,” Neal said. “I think I made the best decision for me and my family.”
Darington Hobson, whom the Bucks selected 37th overall in the 2010 draft, has reached a deal with Migdal Haemek, a team in an Israeli minor league, tweets David Pick of Eurobasket.com. Hobson has appeared in just five regular season NBA games, all with the Bucks in 2011/12.

Eastern Rumors: Bucks, Sims, Oden, Mayo, Hill

October 19th, 2013 at 2:48pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Bucks overhauled their roster this summer, and they’re without four of the five players who averaged double figures in points for them last season. Still, they’re one of five teams that Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld believes is capable of overachieving and grabbing a playoff berth. Milwaukee made a pair of moves today, picking up their 2014/15 options on Brandon Knight and John Henson, and there’s more on the Bucks and more from Brigham in the latest out of the Eastern Conference.

Henry Sims is one of seven players on non-guaranteed deals in Cavs camp, but he’s expected to make the team, according to The Plain Dealer’s Terry Pluto.
Erik Spoelstra‘s intimate knowledge of Greg Oden‘s rehab procedures impressed the former No. 1 overall pick while he was considering where to sign this summer, as Oden tells USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt for a piece that looks at the Heat’s effort to revive the careers of Oden and Michael Beasley.
O.J. Mayo chose the best financial offer when he signed for three years and $24MM with the Bucks, but the money isn’t the only reason why Mayo’s new surroundings appeal to him, writes Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times. “I’m happy to be here and I want to stay here,” Mayo said. “That’s why I bought the house here because I don’t plan on leaving anytime soon.”
Solomon Hill was a surprise selection at No. 23 this past June, but early signs point to him seeing significant minutes for the Pacers this season, Brigham writes.

Wolves Rumors: Pekovic, Prince, Henderson

July 15th, 2013 at 2:56pm CST by Luke Adams

As I explained last Friday, the Timberwolves have done a good job this summer managing the cap, allowing the team to add Kevin Martin, Corey Brewer, and Ronny Turiaf, while locking up Chase Budinger. However, the offseason can't truly be viewed as a success until the T-Wolves re-sign free agent big man Nikola Pekovic. Here's the latest on that front, along with a few more noteworthy items out of Minnesota:

A source close to Pekovic tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities that there has been no movement in negotiations with the Wolves. Minnesota still has an offer on the table, believed to be for four years and $50MM, and persumably Pekovic's camp feels comfortable that the offer isn't going anywhere.
Timberwolves president Flip Saunders still intends to hire a general manager and VP of basketball operations. According to Wolfson, two candidates we've heard mentioned before remain in play: Rob Babcock and Milt Newton. Wolfson's report suggests two candidates will be hired (or promoted), rather than one exec filling both roles.
While a Wolves source says a three-year, $21MM deal for Andrei Kirilenko was at least briefly discussed, a source close to Kirilenko tells Wolfson that there was never an offer on the table to bring the forward back to Minnesota.
Before they signed Brewer, the Wolves had a chance to acquire Tayshaun Prince from the Grizzlies, but passed, given Prince's price tag, according to Wolfson.
The T-Wolves had "heavy interest" in Gerald Henderson prior to agreeing to terms with Martin.
The Wolves like O.J. Mayo, but determined he wouldn't be a good fit with Ricky Rubio, since the team wanted to add a two guard who didn't need the ball in his hands a whole lot, says Wolfson. Minnesota also pursued J.J. Redick before landing Martin, but couldn't negotiate a sign-and-trade as beneficial as the Clippers' deal.
Reps for Nate Robinson and Delonte West called the Wolves to see if the club has interest in either player, but the answer appears to be no, writes Wolfson.
After being selected 58th overall in the 2012 draft, Robbie Hummel spent last season playing in Spain, but now that he's back with the Wolves' Summer League squad, he's eager to show that he's deserving of the team's final open roster spot, as he tells Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. "That’s the ultimate goal," Hummel said. "It always has been my dream to play in the NBA. I’m thankful for this opportunity and want to show I belong."

Bucks Sign O.J. Mayo

July 13th, 2013 at 11:18am CST by Chuck Myron

JULY 13th: The Bucks officially announced the deal.

JULY 5th: The Bucks have reached agreement on a three-year, $24MM deal with O.J. Mayo, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The two sides have appeared close to a deal over the past two days.

Several teams have been in on Mayo since free agency began, including the Wolves and Clippers, both of whom appeared willing to engage in sign-and-trade scenarios with the Mavs. Instead, it's Milwaukee, with plenty of cap space following the departure of J.J. Redick, taking him on straight up. The Jazz, Blazers, Bobcats, and Bulls were all linked to the Landmark Sports Agency client as well.

Monta Ellis appears to be drawing significant interest from the Nuggets and other teams, so Mayo could step into a starting role in Milwaukee. Brandon Jennings is also a free agent, but he's restricted, so the Bucks can match offers from other teams for him. He figures to give the team some scoring punch to offset the production headed out the door. Mayo averaged 15.3 points and shot a career-best 40.7% from three-point range last season.

Free Agency Rumors: Odom, Brand, Tinsley

July 6th, 2013 at 8:18pm CST by Spencer Lund

The Mavs will bring back point guard Devin Harris, but they're also considering another former guard, this one from their title-winning 2011 team: Jose Barea.

Earlier this month, there were rumors of a sign-and-trade involving O.J. Mayo and either the Wolves' J.J. Barea or Luke Ridnour. This came before the Mavs locked up their point guard slot by signing Jose Calderon.

Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com says (via Twitter) the Mavs have $8MM in cap space after Jose Calderon signed with them and O.J. Mayo signed with the Bucks, but there are ways to increase that figure, he notes. We already reported that the signing of Calderon likely knocks Barea out of the running for a return to the Mavs in a sign-and-trade since the Mavs have their point guard now and Mayo is gone.

Here's what else is happening around this busy Saturday night, including more Mavs' rumors as they go with plan B after failing to sign Dwight:

Besides bringing Harris back, the Mavs are also looking at re-signing Elton Brand, reports McMahon of ESPNDallas.com. McMahon also mentions their interest in Jermaine O'Neal, as previously iterated.
The Lakers, fresh off the disappointing exit of free agent Dwight Howard, are looking at Elton Brand and Lamar Odom, reports ESPNLosAngeles' Ramona Shelburne (Twitter links). But interest levels for Odom are hard to determine on both sides, and they may not be able to afford Brand, Shelburne continues.
Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune says (via Twitter), that besides the Nets, the Jazz were among Jamaal Tinsley's primary suitors. Oram says Tinsley remains interested in returning to the Jazz.
In the first three years of Chris Grant's position as the Cavs' general manager, he spent less than $7MM in free agency. This summer he's spent $34MM counting option years, tweets the Akron Beacon Journal's Jason Loyd.

Bucks Nearing Agreement With O.J. Mayo

July 4th, 2013 at 8:02am CST by Luke Adams

THURSDAY, 8:02am: If Mayo finalizes an agreement with Milwaukee, expect the club to just sign him outright, since the Mavs and Bucks aren't discussing sign-and-trade scenarios, says Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com.

WEDNESDAY, 9:21pm: The deal is still not finalized as of Wednesday night, Wojnarowski tweets, but the Bucks and Mayo will continue to work into Thursday to complete the multiyear pact.

1:45pm: The Bucks are closing in on a multiyear contract agreement with unrestricted free agent guard O.J. Mayo, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

After the Timberwolves agreed to sign Kevin Martin and the Clippers reached an agreement to acquire J.J. Redick, two potential destinations for Mayo were eliminated yesterday. With Martin and Redick both agreeing to contracts in the neighborhood of $7MM per year, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Mayo match or exceed that figure.

The Bucks have been linked to a number of guards this week, including Martin, Tony Allen, Eric Bledsoe, J.R. Smith, Jeff Teague, Kyle Korver, and Devin Harris, among others. It's also not clear whether the team intends to bring back Brandon Jennings and/or Monta Ellis, though an agreement with Mayo would seem to reduce the chances of both those players returning to Milwaukee.

Milwaukee was also reported to have a three-year offer on the table for Korver, and was viewed as perhaps the leading candidate to land Smith. While we'll have to wait and see whether either player remains a target for the Bucks, it's hard to imagine Mayo and Smith sharing a backcourt.

Clippers, Mavs Talking Mayo Sign-And-Trade

July 2nd, 2013 at 10:35am CST by Chuck Myron

10:35am: Rivers is "strongly inclined" to keep Bledsoe, so the Clippers may offer Caron Butler and/or Jamal Crawford instead, in hopes of landing Mayo, says Broussard (via Twitter). I'm skeptical that Dallas would have a whole lot of interest in a non-Bledsoe package.

TUESDAY, 10:02am: As talks continue between the Clippers and Mavs on a possible deal, Rivers will meet Mayo for lunch today, tweets ESPN.com's Chris Broussard.

MONDAY, 6:14pm: Matt Barnes could be part of the deal, according to Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com. Aaron Goodwin, the agent for Barnes, told McMahon that Dallas was one of 12 teams to express interest in his client. The Mavs also have interest in Chauncey Billups.

5:10pm: The Clippers and Mavs are involved in discussions about a Mayo-for-Bledsoe deal, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Dallas is holding off on a major move until Dwight Howard makes his decision, but the team is becoming increasingly confident that it will find a sign-and-trade partner for Mayo, Stein also tweets.

11:51am: Clippers coach and senior VP of basketball operations Doc Rivers has "serious interest" in O.J. Mayo, and the shooting guard was the second free agent the team called after speaking to Chris Paul last night, reports Sam Amick of USA Today. The team may pursue a sign-and-trade with the Mavericks involving Eric Bledsoe to acquire Mayo, according to Amick (Twitter links).

The Clippers will have plenty of competition for the Landmark Sports Agency client. Mayo is reportedly also meeting with the Wolves, and Jazz, Bucks, Timberwolves, Blazers, Bobcats and Bulls are all likely suitors as well. Mayo could have stayed with the Mavs on a $4.2MM player option, but it appears he'll net much more than that on the market.

The Clips go into the offseason with about $44MM guaranteed on their books, but with Paul's max salary pushing $19MM, a weighty offer for Mayo could push the team close to tax territory, unless the Clippers can shed significant salary in a sign-and-trade. I'd doubt the Mavs are looking to take back too much in return for Mayo, however, as they look to retain cap flexibility.