In a move that added a lot of salary, the Memphis Grizzlies shipped Kevin Love, Mike Miller, Jason Collins, and Brian Cardinal to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Who won the trade? Memphis. But it wasn’t much of a victory.

First of all, O.J. Mayo is the prize of the trade. His rookie scale contract combined with his talent and potential mean he’s going to be a pretty good investment for the next four seasons. So, in that light, Memphis is the big winner of this deal.

However – Memphis had to take on some pretty ugly contracts to make this deal. Antoine Walker’s contract (nearly $9 million a year for three more years) is a joke. Marko Jaric’s contract is pretty pricey ($6 million plus for the next three seasons), and it’s hard to imagine he’ll be getting much run in Memphis behind Lowry, Conley, Crittenton, and Mayo. Of course, it’s likely that Memphis is planning to move one or more of their guards. Miami is interested in Mayo, and this deal might just be a prelude to an even bigger deal with Miami. Maybe Miami swaps Beasley for Mayo and some contract shuffling…

Minnesota did OK. They dumped Antoine Walker’s HUGE contract off on Memphis, and all they had to do is take back Brian Cardinal’s deal. That’s a win. Kevin Love, while lacking athleticism, is a solid passer and can contribute off the bench at a minimum. Minnesota also got Mike Miller in the deal – an elite shooter that can provide some leadership. Of course, just like Mayo in Memphis, Miller actually playing in Minnesota seems far from certain.

It’s important to recognize that Mike Miller is a very attractive piece for a championship contender, and since Minnesota is in rebuilding mode, Miller can be had for nothing more than draft picks and an expiring contract.

It seems a little to premature to make a true judgment about this deal. It’s a near certainty that Memphis will trade one or more of their young point guards in the next couple of weeks. The Nuggets, for instance, had expressed an interest in Kyle Lowry. However, my guess is by the time the sun rises O.J. Mayo will be playing in Miami and Beasley will be teaming up with Rudy Gay and Mike Conley in Memphis.

Why else would Memphis take on all this salary? If there’s one thing we know for sure, Memphis HATES salary. Just ask Mitch Kupchak about that one…

Over-sized, over-paid and under-publicized, Mike Miller is a league-leading 3pt shooter that can pass a little and pull down a rebound or two. He’s got a goofy haircut, a personality made for a big market, and two and half years left on a $9+ million dollar contract.

But he can shoot. Really well. I can think of a lot of teams that would value Miller quite highly – overpaid and all. Miami, for instance, had interest in Miller earlier this season.

Even more interesting, consider this – Memphis now has multiple first-round draft picks, three young promising PGs, a big expiring contract (Brown), and a top-notch shooter with a livable contract (Miller). In other words, they’ve got enough pieces to make a trade for a big-time star.  It’s hard to imagine, but maybe Memphis uses their newly acquired expiring contract to grab Jason Kidd?

Or maybe not.

In all likelihood, Mike Miller will be traded for an expiring contract and some youngsters, but don’t count Memphis out on making a big deal (at least not yet) – they’ve got all the right pieces…

10. Jermaine O’Neal – Trade rumors have been swirling around Jermaine O’Neal for a couple of years now, but his big contract combined with his injury history usually scares teams away from making a real offer. Still, he can make a difference on most teams in the league, and Indiana is interested in getting younger.

9. The New York Knicks – Until Isiah is fired, there’s always a chance that a NY Knick will be traded. With possibly one or two exceptions, every player on this team is available.

8. Jason Kidd – Even if you disregard the rumors surrounding Kidd’s supposedly “fake” migraine from a couple of weeks ago, he is still likely to be traded. Kidd is an all-star point guard that has a high market value, especially for his age. NJ may want to “get while the gettin’s good” and cash in on Kidd while he’s having a career year. Only his huge contract keeps him from being higher on this list.

7. Ron Artest – If it wasn’t for Artest’s domestic abuse problem back in March, he might have been moved this summer. Despite the possibility that Artest could go off the deep end at any time, he’s a tremendous and desirable talent that’s wasting away in Sacramento. And his contract is so cheap that he can go virtually anywhere…

6. Kwame Brown – Brown’s huge expiring contract is trade bait, and Kobe and Phil Jackson are both expecting the Lakers to make a move that will improve the team. Kwame is the Laker’s most trade-able player, so he’s as good as gone.

5. Jason Williams – Just like the situation in Los Angeles, something has to be done in Miami. Jason Williams has a huge expiring contract that will facilitate just about any trade, and there are more than a few teams looking for a way to reduce salary.

4. Mike Bibby – It’s no secret that Bibby was unhappy in Sacramento last season, and his skill set would be highly valued by a lot of teams looking for a scoring point guard (Cleveland and Miami, among others). Bibby and Artest don’t get along either, making it seem that one of them leaving Sac-Town is a foregone conclusion.

3. Pau Gasol – Chicago desperately needs some inside scoring, and Pau is a back-to-the-basket player that Chicago can probably get for a discount. The ownership in Memphis is trying to sell the team, and they might think that moving Gasol for some younger and less expensive players would make the sale easier. This will be an interesting trade — who will come out ahead? Chicago is desperate, but Memphis has no need for Gasol’s services as they try and structure their team for a sale.

2. Andre Miller – Philly has absolutely nothing to gain by keeping Andre Miller. Granted, the team plays better with him than they will without him, but let’s face it — Philly isn’t going to win anything this season. If they can move Miller for a young player or two and a draft pick/expiring contract, they should pull the trigger. Miller’s a great passer that can run an offense, and Philly will most likely get some solid offers. Just don’t expect Miller to go to Miami (Riley hates pudgy players).

1. The Chicago Bulls – Any one of the Bulls players, and I mean any one of them, are likely to be traded. Chicago has to do something to add a scoring big, and Pau Gasol and Jermaine O’Neal both fit the bill. Which Bulls players are more likely to go? Look for Nocioni and Ben Gordon to leave — they’re the easiest to replace.

1) Phoenix Suns – With all the angst from last season, these guys have got a big chip on their shoulder that should translate to the best record in the league.

2) Dallas Mavericks – Just because they bombed out of the first round last year doesn’t mean they won’t be a force in the regular season. There’s nothing wrong with this team.

3) San Antonio Spurs – Every year I think “these guys are too old”, but they just keep getting it done. As long as Duncan and Parker are healthy, they’re the team to beat.

4) Denver Nuggets – The Nuggets will beat out the Jazz for the best record in the Northwest division. They’ve got an easy schedule through December, and they’ll finish strong as usual.

5) Utah Jazz – The Jazz had an interesting off-season that will impact their regular season performance, but they should manage to stay very close to Denver for the division lead.

6) Houston Rockets – Adelman’s clever offensive scheme will make Yao Ming the best player in the west (at least on paper), but there will be a learning curve.

7) Golden State Warriors – Assuming Baron Davis is healthy, Warriors run-and-gun basketball will challenge every team they play in the regular season.

8 ) Memphis Grizzlies – Pau Gasol can be a dominant player when healthy, and this team has a enough talent to make a grab for the last spot in the playoffs.

While I’m not going to predict how these seeds will perform in the playoffs until we get closer, I will officially declare my favorite to win the Western Conference. (drum roll…)

Phoenix. The Suns have everything they need to win, and they won’t be denied this year because of questionable calls. While I’m at it, I’ll go ahead and say that Phoenix will also be the NBA champ in the upcoming season.

Also, my pick for last place in the Western conference goes to the Sonics. Between the lack of veteran talent, the lack of defense, and the ownership’s bid to move the team, anything more than a terrible season is wishful thinking.