An internet rumor perhaps being fueled entirely by Stu says the Miami Heat are considering passing on Michael Beasley in favor of O.J. Mayo. Wait, it’s not just Stu anymore! The Chicago Bulls measured Beasley at 6-foot-7 (he’s generally been listed at 6-9 or even 6-10), leading Dan Shanoff to speculate that not only would the Bulls certainly be passing on Beasley in favor of Derrick Rose with the No. 1 overall pick, but that the height discrepancy would be enough for Miami to make the plunge and take Mayo at No. 2. Writes Shanoff:

Prediction: Forget the Bulls taking him at No. 1; and the size thing is all the pretext that the Heat’s Pat Riley will need to draft O.J. Mayo at No. 2, ahead of Beasley. (Never mind that plenty of great players were awkwardly sized; no one seems to think that Beasley has that kind of greatness in him. Fools.)

This of course bears watching here because the Wolves own the No. 3 pick and would then almost certainly nab Beasley. As Stu notes, “Please let this be true.” The smart money is still on the “blowing smoke” theory, by which Pat Riley is directing his exhales toward the posterior crevices of basketball folks everywhere and really intends on taking Beasley or Rose no matter what. That said, it does add an element of danger to the Wolves possibly trading down into the 5-8 range — a move we favor provided they can still snag Kevin Love while getting another piece along the way. There would be nothing worse than the Wolves making a seemingly cunning deal, only to watch Beasley slip to No. 3 and no longer have a shot at him. All of this makes draft night even more intriguing — and not just for the awkwardly dressed players.

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