NBA Offseason Roundtable Part 1
Apr 16, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio (9) and forward Kevin Love (42) at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
TRUE OR FALSE: KEVIN LOVE WILL BE TRADED BEFORE THE SEASON STARTS, AND WHERE?
MS — False. The Wolves aren’t going to get a better offer than what the Warriors were spinning their way. It’s obvious that Flip doesn’t want to trade Kevin Love…right now.
GM — True. There are about five potential landing spots for Kevin Love via trade, but why waste all those rumors. Love will be dealt to the Warriors in a deal that will send him and Kevin Martin to the Warriors for Klay Thompson, David Lee, and possibly Harrison Barnes or Andre Igoudala.
RW — True. It will happen on draft night. With the Celtics in the hunt and now the Warriors raising their bid with potentially Klay Thompson in there, something is going to get done. Flip Saunders knows that Kevin Love would not come back if he kept him for the 2014-15 season. It will be tough for him to handle, but this is what is needed to be done to begin rebuilding this team.
JA — I don’t know how long Minnesota wants to let this linger and I have a feeling they’ll trade the big man soon to avoid a Dwight Howard debacle. It seems, at this point, that Boston has the most to offer both Love and Minnesota, with their plethora of picks and position to win right away, plus the prestige of playing for the league’s most decorated franchise. Another solid option would be Chicago. They too have plenty to trade and have the assets to build a win-now team. Assuming Derrick Rose comes back even 75 percent of what he was during his MVP season, he and Love could make quite the dynamic duo.
DA — Clearly, it’s True, but I’d be lying if I said I had any idea where K-Love winds up. How many potential suitors have been rumored interested for his great (but limited) talents? 10? 15? These teams all vary in degrees how much they can package to acquire the All-Star but, when it comes to trade rumors, I tend to think that most public suitors have the best chance of winning out. So far, that’s been Boston and Golden State. Of these, I’d say the Celtics have the upper-hand but this teams looks like it won’t contend for some time, even with the addition of Love and even by benefitting in a weak Eastern Conference.
BO — True, and to Boston. The fact the potential trade to Golden State is hung up on Klay Thompson is hilarious for so many reasons. Everyone keeps saying the Celtics don’t have the assets to trade for Love. The Celtics have a million first-round picks. Yes, Minnesota wants to win now, but it’s going to take some time to fix what David Kahn did. Nailing a few draft picks is the best way to do that. I think Love will be traded sometime in July. It just feels inevitable at this point, and Boston feels like the place Love will end up.
AL — True. In the Melo Lottery, I think K-Love goes to the person who loses out on Melo, Chicago or Houston. Both would have to give up some sizeable assets and both seemed hesitent to do so last year.