Hollinger's Take on Love/Mayo Deal

Can be read here:

When we break it down, it's hard to see how Minnesota loses:

Love is, in my estimation, the better of the two prospects.

This is clearly not the consensus opinion; if it was, the Grizzlies wouldn't have thrown so much extra into this trade to get Mayo. But Love's numbers project him as a much better NBA player. And big guys have traditionally been more valued than guards in the NBA; hence the adage, "Don't trade big for small."

Love is a better fit in Minnesota than Mayo.

The Wolves already have plenty of 6-foot-4 wing players (Randy Foye, Rashad McCants) and a shortage up front, where Love's ability to shoot and pass will keep the lane open for Al Jefferson to dominate. Obviously the Jefferson-Love combo raises some concerns at the defensive end, since neither is especially tall or moves well laterally, but offensively they could be devastating.

Of the other players in the trade, Miller is the only one worth a hoot.

He's another shooter who struggles to defend, but that weakness is more apparent on a bad team for which he has to start and play 40 minutes. Stick him in a sixth-man role, and he'll be dynamite.

The Wolves are taking on fewer dollars.

In the short term, the financial considerations are pretty much neutral: Memphis pays $2 million less this year, much of which is offset by the difference between the salary slots for No. 5 (Love) and No. 3 (Mayo).

But while Jaric and Cardinal have similarly large salaries, Jaric has three years left on his deal and Cardinal only two. Buckner has only $1 million guaranteed for the two years after 2008-09, and the contracts for the other two new Grizzlies expire next year. So the Grizzlies end up taking on more salary than Minnesota does, particularly in Year 3 when Jaric and Buckner are on the books for a combined $8.1 million.

I think that's about right.