NBA Draft: Eight-player trade with Mayo on the side

By Art Thompson III The Orange County Register Published: Friday, June 27, 2008 9:43 a.m. MDT LOS ANGELES — It was a brief Pac-10 takeover Thursday night at the NBA draft. The Minnesota Timberwolves initiated it by using the No. 3 pick to draft USC guard O.J. Mayo. That was followed by a pair of UCLA players. But in a mild surprise, guard Russell Westbrook went No. 4 to the Seattle SuperSonics, one pick ahead of his teammate Kevin Love, who was a consensus first-team All-America pick this year. The Memphis Grizzlies grabbed Love with the No. 5 pick. "I'm just so excited and elated for them," UCLA coach Ben Howland said via conference call. "Both Russell and Kevin have worked so hard." Hours after the draft ended, The Associated Press reported Mayo was dealt to Memphis for Love in an eight-player deal that also sent Mike... [read full story]