Suns offered Mayo more money than Dallas

[Griffin]

According to Mayo's business manager, Mayo turned down Suns offer of around $9-10M to play for the Mavs.

Mayo's business manager, LaPoe Smith, said his client was more interested in getting involved in a winning situtation than trying to break the bank.

"It wasn't about the money,'' Smith said. "It was about being in the right situation.''

The right situation for Mayo turned out to be the Dallas Mavericks, who signed him to a two-year contract Thursday for approximately $8.5 million. The second year of the contract -- for about $4.5 million -- is a player's option.

Smith said Mayo turned down one contract this summer that was worth $11 million. He said he also turned down an offer from the Phoenix Suns that was worth between $9 million-$10 million so he could play for the Mavs.

"You've got to know what the young man wants in his life,'' Smith said. "He didn't want to go to a team that loses 60 games.

"That's not any fun. O.J. deserves better than that.''

Mayo, who the Memphis Grizzlies didn't pick up his $7.3 million qualifying offer this summer, acknowledged that the Mavs' championship pedigree played a major role in him signing with Dallas.

"They did it two years ago,'' Mayo said of the Mavs winning the 2011 NBA title. "So it’s definitely cool to say that they are a championship organization.''

http://sportsblogs.star-telegram.com/mavs/2012/07/for-mayo-it-wasnt-about-the-money.html

Btw, why was the main Mayo thread closed? Obviously this is Suns-related as they courted him and reportedly made him an offer.

 

[JS22]

$9-10 million? Ugh. Glad he turned it down but it suddenly makes me question Babby and Blanks.

9-10 million for OJ Mayo is nuts!

 

[Mainstreet]

$9-10 million? Ugh. Glad he turned it down but it suddenly makes me question Babby and Blanks.

9-10 million for OJ Mayo is nuts!

But over how many years?

 

[binkar]

I would assume that this $9-$10 million was also over two years and not per year. Assuming that's the case, the Suns may have been unwilling to make the second year a player option, this making the Mavs contract more attractive to Mayo. The one year deal with a player option cost the Suns a lot of money on Frye.

 

[Phrazbit]

Yes, I am sure if it was 9-10m per year he would be here. It sounds like that was the total figure, so I would assume it was a 2 year contract. An offer I can respect us for making.

 

[Cheesebeef]

not sure why you guys figure it was 9-10 for two years (besides trying to tell yourself our FO isn't stupid enough to give him that much per)? He said he turned down MORE money from us, then he got from Dallas and he got 2 years 12.5 from them.

We lucked out by not getting him, but the fact that we were offering that much scratch, continues to make me think Babby and Co. are not only idiots, but it kinda spits in the face of the idea that we can attract big name FAs.

edit: maybe we offered him 9-10 for one year. If that's the case, then I'm somewhat okay with it. unfortunately, we won't ever know just what happened here, except that Mayo saw us as an unenticing place to play.

 

[95pro]

there probably more that went on than we'll ever know

 

[Phrazbit]

not sure why you guys figure it was 9-10 for two years (besides trying to tell yourself our FO isn't stupid enough to give him that much per)? He said he turned down MORE money from us, then he got from Dallas and he got 2 years 12.5 from them.

We lucked out by not getting him, but the fact that we were offering that much scratch, continues to make me think Babby and Co. are not only idiots, but it kinda spits in the face of the idea that we can attract big name FAs.

edit: maybe we offered him 9-10 for one year. If that's the case, then I'm somewhat okay with it. unfortunately, we won't ever know just what happened here, except that Mayo saw us as an unenticing place to play.

I'm sure that was the total figure. If he had turned down a 3 year 27-30 million dollar contract you can be sure his agent would have said he turned down "30 million" from Phoenix. And, we could have been projected to win 2 games next year and he would have signing on for 30 mil guaranteed over a 4.5 mil with an option from Dallas. And the Dallas deal is worth 8.5 total if he accepts the option, not 12.

This is OJ Mayo we are talking about here... the same guy who chose USC because Tim Floyd was handing out envelopes filled with cash. If we had ponyed up the dough he would have followed it.

 

[jagu]

Well it's a good thing he thinks the Suns are going to lose 60 games this year. Lottery here we come.

 

[az jam]

Interesting as both Gambadoro and Coro had said that the Suns did not offer Mayo a contract. Additionally, I believe that Mayo's agent is also Eric Gordon's agent who said he was impressed with the Suns management and wanted to play here.

Finally what the heck is the purpose for the agent to put out this negative stuff on the Suns team. Stupid PR move.

I guess we will never know what the real story is here.

 

[devilalum]

he didn't want to play for a team that will lose 60 games

I call BS. If this is true why did he even meet with the Suns?

 

[elindholm]

For the record, I don't think the Suns will lose 60 games. 50 losses is probably about right.

 

[binkar]

not sure why you guys figure it was 9-10 for two years (besides trying to tell yourself our FO isn't stupid enough to give him that much per)? He said he turned down MORE money from us, then he got from Dallas and he got 2 years 12.5 from them.

We lucked out by not getting him, but the fact that we were offering that much scratch, continues to make me think Babby and Co. are not only idiots, but it kinda spits in the face of the idea that we can attract big name FAs.

edit: maybe we offered him 9-10 for one year. If that's the case, then I'm somewhat okay with it. unfortunately, we won't ever know just what happened here, except that Mayo saw us as an unenticing place to play.

Don't you think the chances are greater that Mayo would turn down $500,000-$1,000,000 than the chances are that he would turn down $6,500,000 per year? The deal w/ Dallas was two years, $8.5 million (with a player option on the second year), not $12.5 million. You don't really believe Mayo left $6.5 million a year on the table to play with the Mavs, do you?

And to add, no I don't think this front office is stupid or fiscally irresponsible. I actually quite like the current front office.

 

[JS22]

When I read 9-10 million I assumed something like 30 million over 3 years. (Which would have been insane.)

9-10 million total seems a lot more realistic.

 

[sunsfan88]

I don't even think this is true. Gambo had said earlier that the Suns did not offer Mayo a contract because he wanted $8M+.

I think this is just a way of Mayo's reps to get people in Dallas and around the league thinking "Oh Mayo cares more about winning than money" but its utterly false imo.

 

[Errntknght]

I think it was the player option that he liked. If he has a great year he can opt out and probably get a 4 year deal. If not, he comes back for another try