With the usual rumors and erroneous, agenda-driven reports swirling in the hours before the draft, an Eastern Conference executive has told Newsday that he believes the Miami Heat will, in fact, select Michael Beasley with the second pick in the draft tonight. Late speculation that Pat Riley has reservations about Beasley's character and prefers USC guard O.J. Mayo, is a smokescreen, the executive said.
We''ll find out in a few hours.
There's gamesmanship galore around the NBA, and it's only going to get more frantic in the coming hours. Someone obviously wants the notion out there that Riley is looking to deal the second pick, and the character issues with Beasley are being used as the pawn in that trick, the executive said.
The Beasley pick, of course, is predicated on the Bulls selecting Memphis point guard Derrick Rose with the first pick. A person with knowledge of the Bulls' thinking told Newsday earlier this week that you can "take it to the bank" that Chicago will select Rose.