Kevin Love has been mentioned in trade rumors as much as anyone over the past couple years and now it appears that the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks are gearing up to try and get him in a blockbuster deal that could include Pau Gasol, first round picks and numerous other players.
Love has been looked at as a potential trade target for teams since signing his contract extension with the Timberwolves and everyone in the league knows that he longs to play in LA, which is where he went to college. Now, according to CBS Sports writer Ken Berger reports that the Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks have been looking to put together a package for a trade for Love, with Los Angeles trying to package Pau Gasol, their first round pick and more (possibly a third team) to get a trade done before the deadline.
The report says that the league and basically everyone knows that Love wants to play in a bigger market and there isn't a better one than Los Angeles and it also happens to be where he played his college ball at UCLA. Berger writes that the Lakers are the most motivated team to make a deal and that since they have been so bad this season, their first round pick becomes much more valuable to teams and with Gasol's large expiring contract, it's a move that could work.
Love has developed into one of the best players in the NBA and a consistent double-double threat and while the Timberwolves hope they can convince the forward to stay, many around the league have said behind closed doors that it never will happen. The Wolves came into this season with high expectations and Flip Saunders has tried to rebuild the team into a playoff contender with Ricky Rubio and Nikola Pekovic and if the team doesn't get back to the postseason this year or next season, it's clear that Love will leave.
Teams are clearly impatient and Love's contract runs through 2016 and he has an opt out clause after next season and in the report Berger writes that sources close to Sanders say he will not pull the trigger on a trade this season. The sources say there is "no way" it'll happen, but naturally that hasn't stopped the rumors and with the Lakers looking so bad this season, the franchise may be looking to speed up that process heading into next year.
Love is one of the top superstar-like players that has free agency looming and this is having the look of a Dwight Howard situation and CBS Sports thinks it could end the same way: in LA. Love was voted as an All-Star starter while averaging 25 points and 13 rebounds this season and he has not been to the playoffs yet in his career and as this trade deadline gets closer, the Wolves themselves could try to make a move to have a postseason push this season. Trading Love would suck the life out of the fans, but it probably is going to be the best thing for the team when it eventually happens, as he is going to leave when he gets the chance and like the Orlando Magic, they should try and get something for him. (Clearly though that move hasn't worked out too well for the Magic, at least not yet).