Kevin Love Says He Would Consider New York

The Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA Northwest division are hoping that shooting forward Kevin Love decides to stay in Minnesota.

That is unlikely as rumors are that he will not be signing a contract extension with the Timberwolves and will become a free agent at the end of the 2014-15 season.

This past week, with the NBA Finals being played in Miami, Love said in an interview that anybody would like to play in New York with Phil Jackson involved with the organization.

Love’s comments only added fuel to the fire when he said as a player you would look at the possibility of playing in New York.

Love also hit on what is becoming a familiar theme, as his chief concern is playing for a club that can contend and eventually win an NBA Championship.

Love said no matter the final outcome, he wanted to be in a place where he could win. He said he has been in the league six years and has not reached the postseason, which upsets him and pushes him to find the best opportunity to play for an NBA Title.

Love had not made any comments regarding New York prior to this week, but in May a leading television network reported that one of their sources who is close to Love gave them confirmation that New York was on Love’s short list of places to play.

However, a grain of salt much be taken when listening to an NBA player speak about where to play. How often has a player, during an interview when asked about playing for a particular team or city, responded by saying I hate that team or that city. It is likely that has not happened often or at all.

Some sports outlets have ranked the top possibilities of where Love will end up via a trade or waiting for free agency at the end of next season.

A number of those lists have Love playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, which has been said to be the forward’s top destination.

However, in New York, Love could have the team built around him, especially if Carmelo Anthony opts for free agency leave the Big Apple, which it looks like he will.

If winning is what is important to Love than he will not have to go much further than New York under Phil Jackson.

Jackson’s system helped win six NBA titles in Chicago and another five in Los Angeles. The players he coached had a great deal to do with his success.

Those players included Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O’Neal. Of the four, only O’Neal won one of his NBA titles while not playing for Jackson.

A great deal will take place over the coming weeks and months. The Timberwolves will try to convince Love through trades and draft picks they can build a winner around him.

At the same, time Love could tell the Timberwolves management he wants out and that could prompt them to trade him prior to him opting out of his contract in 2015.