So the question becomes: Is Mayo the Heat’s pick at #2, or do they trade down to Minnesota so the Wolves can take Beasley second and Miami can get Mayo and a player from Minnesota, as well? Either way, there’s a strong possibility that Mayo, not Beasley, will land next to Wade in South Florida.
 
 
 

If the HEAT could work out a deal with Minnesota at #3 or Seattle at #4, Miami would almost certainly be able to draft Mayo in either of those two spots.  The challenge would be agreeing on adequate compensation.  And such compensation would require Miami to send out other players along with the #2 pick to make salaries match. 

 
 
Miami needs a point guard, but the chances Seattle’s Luke Ridnour or Earl Watson will strike the HEAT’s fancy aren’t great.  Randy Foye in Minnesota would likely interest Miami, but the Wolves likely wouldn’t part with him in a deal for Beasley given the fact young stud Al Jefferson has the four-spot pretty much on lock.
 
 
 
The executive said the problem with trading down to take USC guard O.J. Mayo, who is working out for the Heat this weekend, is that Minnesota (which picks third) and Seattle (fourth) don’t have attractive assets they’re willing to offer, noting the Wolves’ Al Jefferson and the Sonics’ Kevin Durant and Jeff Green aren’t available. ”Memphis at No. 5 would be the best trade fit,” the official said, though Mayo might be gone. (The Heat isn’t permitted to trade No. 2 until after it makes the pick.) 
 
 
 
Minnesota men’s basketball coach Tubby Smith promised his graduating
seniors that he would do everything within his power to help them in
their quest to take their games to the next level.
 
True to his word, Smith called up Timberwolves management and asked if
they would be willing to take a look at three of his former players:
Golden Gophers guard Lawrence McKenzie, center Spencer Tollackson and
power forward Dan Coleman – a request the Wolves were happy to
accommodate.
 
 
 
 
Jim Fenton/Norwich Bulletin on people at last night’s game in Boston:  
Faces in the crowd included former Celtics Antoine Walker and Al Jefferson…
 
 
   
The Minnesota Timberwolves have finalized a multiyear deal for GlobalWide Merchandising & Marketing to be the team’s preferred vendor for all premium and promotional products.
 
Under the deal, Boston-based GlobalWide will provide everything from
giveaways like bobbleheads and caps to corporate gifts like coffee mugs
and golf balls, and help develop marketing programs for the team and
its sponsors.
 
 
 
On April 17, the day he fired Jim Boylan, general manager John Paxson
said he preferred but wouldn’t mandate previous coaching experience for
his hire as the next Bulls coach.
 

Weighing that very issue will come into play as, barring a surprise,
Paxson will offer the job to former Minnesota coach Dwane Casey or Suns
assistant general manager Vinny Del Negro.