Minnesota Still Looking to Deal Love
The NBA offseason continues with a frenzy of free agents changing teams, while others opt to re-sign with their current club. While many players are changing conferences and divisions, Kevin Love for the moment remains a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Rumors about trades in the NBA, especially one involving Love have become more popular than free agent signings as the biggest names in free agents have recently come off the board.
Minnesota needs to make a trade at some point for Love before the end of next season or he has said he will use his opt out clause in his contract to become a free agent.
A recent connection had possibly going to the Cleveland Cavaliers after the announcement was made the LeBron James was returning to Cleveland. The idea is said to have intrigued Love.
The latest news on that rumor is Love remains intrigued, but reports say that Minnesota is asking for Andrew Wiggins who is said to be “off limits†for any trades.
It seems the Timberwolves want a great deal for Love and will not deal with Cleveland unless the Cavs included Wiggins their No. 1 pick as
part of the deal.
Another team that has spoken to Minnesota about Love is the Golden State Warriors. However, like Cleveland, the Warriors have a player they do not want to deal, but Minnesota wants the player involved in the trade.
Rumors are than new Warriors coach Steve Kerr wants Klay Thompson on his roster and does not want him traded.
Thompson and teammate Stephen Curry are two of the best three-point shooters in the league and the Warriors are said to have told Minnesota that Thompson was staying put.
Most sources close to the situation said that if it were not for Kerr insisting on keeping Thompson, then a deal likely would already have been done.
Golden State only want to offer David Lee a forward who has been an All-Star, Harrison Barnes a lottery pick in 2012 and likely a first round pick.
Things could change however as Golden State knows series competition exists for Love in the form of Cleveland and possibly even Houston.
Flip Saunders the Timberwolves coach and GM, and Bob Myers the GM for Golden State were seen meeting on Sunday in Las Vegas at the summer league for the NBA.
Minnesota could be waiting to see if any offers improve for their high scorer and high rebounder. However, more and more NBA team executives are expecting the Timberwolves to trade Love prior to the start of the 2014-15 season, as it is common knowledge league wide that Love will become a free agent in a year.
The Houston Rockets failed to sign LeBron, Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony, but ended up signing Trevor Ariza.
The Rockets also shipped out Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin, while opting not to match the offer sheet from the Dallas Mavericks for Chandler Parsons.
No links have been established between Houston and a trade for Love, but one source said the Rockets are looking to become one of the players in the Love trade triangle.
