With the NBA draft less than 24 hours away teams are heating up the phones, working deals, and trying to figure out who they want to take. Most of the hype leading up to the draft was which player would go first, Memphis' guard Derrick Rose or the do-it-all Kansas State big man Michael Beasley. However, at the clock gets ready to strike 12, USC and former North College Hill guard O.J. Mayo is entering the discussion.

With the Chicago Bulls expected to take Memphis guard Derrick Rose in Thursday's NBA Draft, the Heat have been sending mixed messages, telling one NBA official that they planned to take and keep Kansas State forward Michael Beasley but telling another NBA official that they are concerned about his maturity and are interested in USC guard O.J. Mayo, the Miami Herald reports.

Mayo averaged 20.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists during his one college season, leading Southern California to a 21-12 record and an NCAA tournament berth.

The Heat worked out Mayo and guard Jerryd Bayless Tuesday in Miami, and ESPN reports the team is seriously considering taking Mayo second overall. Mayo's off-season has been tainted with a recruiting  scandal, but it's not his or the team that drafts him problem, rather USC that will have to deal with it.

"He is the most NBA-ready of the guards in the draft, and I think is a really good prospect," ESPN's Jay Bilas said of Mayo. "The idea that somehow he's tainted. ... First of all, if it's true, he's certainly not alone. He's just one of the guys that it's surfaced on. And second, it's hardly anything that the NBA would concern itself with."

Both the Seattle SuperSonics and Memphis Grizzlies have made offers to Miami for the No. 2 pick, an NBA GM tells the Herald.

Its hard to imagine that Beasley would fall down to the No. 3 spot. The 6-foot-8 forward led NCAA Division I in rebounding (12.4) and was third in scoring (26.2) as a freshman. The Timberwolves, who sitting behind the Heat with the draft's thrid pick on sure hoping he does.

To comply with federal regulations that every sports blog must have a liveblog of the NBA Draft, I'll be liveblogging on this site starting close to 7:00, when ESPN coverage begins.  I'm not sure what time the actual draft starts, but we'll play that one by ear.  There should be an interface for some Q&A or live commenting as well.

And with that, I should probably give my predictions of at least the lottery picks for tomorrow night's draft.  I can't remember a draft with more teams looking to move out of their slot; just in the lottery, I've heard Miami, Seattle, Memphis, the Clippers, and Portland all are interested in switching positions, so all of this is predicated on picks not being traded around.

1. Chicago - Derrick Rose, SG, Memphis
2. Miami - O.J. Mayo, SG, USC (if they keep the pick I think they'll go this way, but my guess is that it's dealt to either Seattle or the Clips, and Beasley will get the nod)
3. Minnesota - Michael Beasley, PF, Kansas State
4. Seattle - Jerryd Bayless, PG, Arizona (and if he slips to #11, I won't be shocked either - this draft is that nutty)
5. Memphis - Kevin Love, C, UCLA
6. New York - Danilo Gallinardi, SF, Italy (D'Antoni knows the European game so this makes sense)
7. Clippers - Eric Gordon, SG, Indiana
8. Milwaukee - Joe Alexander, PF, West Virginia
9. Charlotte - Brook Lopez, C, Stanford
10. New Jersey - Anthony Randolph, PF, LSU
11. Indiana - Russell Westbrook, PG, UCLA (just like Bayless, he could go seven spots higher and I won't be surprised)
12. Sacramento - D.J. Augustin, PG, Texas
13. Portland - Brandon Rush, SG, Kansas
14. Golden State - Mario Chalmers, PG, Kansas

With the release of the first edition of the GetSportsInfo.com Cheat Sheet due in early July, it's time to start talking about what I am thinking. I already looked at QB's and TE's now it's time to move on to team defense/special team units:

1. Vikings
2. Chargers
3. Patriots
4. Bears
5. Cowboys
6. Giants
7. Steelers
8. Jaguars
9. Packers
10. Ravens
11. Eagles
12. Cardinals
13. Titans
14. Bills
15. Bucs
16. Seahawks
17. Raiders
18. Colts
19. Broncos
20. Saints
21. Redskins
22. Texans
23. Panthers
24. Lions
25. 49ers
26. Jets
27. Chiefs
28. Rams
29. Dolphins
30. Browns
31. Bengals
32. Falcons

This is your chance to COMMENT and offer your take!!! 

Let's check out some of the latest trade rumors and takes floating around MLB:

C.C. Sabathia - The left-hander isn't on the market yet, but the Indians are going to have to make a decision soon. All three AL East contenders (Red Sox, Rays, Yankees) and a half dozen others are among those believed to have shown interest in the frontline starter. - Paul Hoynes, Cleveland Plain-Dealer

Ichiro Suzuki - if the Mariners really want to shake things up, they should seriously consider trading Ichiro, the international icon who has three tools that are among the best in baseball: his arm, his speed and his ability to hit for average. His negatives are that he appears at times to be playing at half speed and to have more interest in stylin' than anything of substance. - John Heyman, SI.com

Ben Sheets - The Brewers' ace confirmed Tuesday that he has every expectation of testing the free-agent market this winter. “That’s the direction I’m headed right now,” Sheets said. “You can’t invite yourself back.” The Milwaukee Brewers’ staff ace referred to the club’s decision not to try to negotiate a new deal before or during the 2008 season. Sheets is having the kind of year that every free agent-to-be covets. After tossing a complete-game four-hitter Monday night against Atlanta, he is 9-1 with a 2.59 earned run average through 15 starts, with a league-best three complete games. Now, even if the Brewers came calling with a new offer, Sheets admitted that he probably wouldn’t listen. - Tom Haudricourt, Milwaukke Journal-Sentinel

Josh Hamilton - When the Texas Rangers traded for Josh Hamilton, they thought it was more likely he'd have a knee or shoulder issue than a relapse into substance abuse. The knee issue cropped up Tuesday. Two innings after diving for a ball in center field, Hamilton left the game against Houston with left knee inflammation. It's the same knee on which he underwent arthroscopic surgery in 2006. The Rangers did not put him on the disabled list but listed him as "day-to-day." He will be re-evaluated today. - Evan Grant - Dallas News

There's nothing like missing the first inning of a game, only to find that you are down 11-1 by time the second inning is over.  Arroyo allowed a career-high 10 earned runs and 11 hits in the shortest start of his career Tuesday against the Blue Jays while watching his ERA rise from 5.55 to 6.52.

It was an epic performance as the wanna-be rockstar became the sixth starting pitcher in MLB history to allow at least 10 earned runs in a game in which he retired three batters or fewer. 

"You give up 11 hits in 15 batters and walk one -- I probably could have told them what was coming and fared better," said Arroyo, who threw only 52 pitches. "I felt like I didn't even work at all. They hit balls in, up, out and away -- everywhere." 

Not very good for a pitcher that is on the "trading block".  The Reds still owe Arroyo a boatload of money and one of the few teams that may be willing to pick up the contract, the Yankees, reportedly had a team of scouts on hand.  You don't have the be a "baseball guy" to figure out what was in that report.

Now we know why Chris Welsh is crying in the JTM commerical - he had visions of the future and saw the type of year Arroyo would have. 

Arroyo has come a long way from the pitcher that was 9-3 and the team's lone representative in the All-Star game just two years ago. In fact, the right-hander has 30 losses in that span.

Stats of the day from Mark Wagner (The LotD)

Since Bronson Arroyo's 9-3 start in 2006
Most losses by a pitcher (June 24, 2006 - June 24, 2008):
32 - Jose Contreras
31 - Barry Zito
30 - Bronson Arroyo
30 - Carlos Sivla
(Note: The only pitchers with 30+ losses in that span)

Most home runs allowed (June 24, 2006 - June 24, 2008):
66 - Bronson Arroyo
66 - Jamie Moyer
62 - Paul Byrd
61 - Aaron Harang
60 - Johan Santana
60     Livan Hernandez

(Note: Only pitchers to allow 60+ HR's in that span)