The Phoenix Suns could be in the trade mix for Kevin Love or Rajon Rondo this summer, as the team has enough first round picks to be a factor in the trade rumors surrounding the Timberwolves superstar and those selections could give the team a leg up on the Golden State Warriors, NY Knicks, Houston Rockets, Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls, who are also interested in making the move.
Kevin Love has been the center of rumors for quite some time and things are starting to come up again heading into the summer, as the forward said that he plans on testing the market and not signing an extension with the Wolves. According to ESPN.com, Love has said that he hopes a trade could come down at some point, but he has not asked to be traded and has not requested a deal, although he made it known that teams like the Chicago Bulls, Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets are teams that intrigue him. The Wolves have a decision to make and based on the past, the sooner they make a choice on trading him or not, the better deal they likely will get, as some experts say the leverage the team has will drop the longer this goes on.
Love has been one of the most consistent players in the NBA over the past two seasons and he averaged over 26 points last season to rank in the top 10 in the NBA and he also factored into the MVP voting. Love was healthy this season after dealing with injuries and missing nearly the entire season in 2012-13 and now he is heading into his potential final season with the Wolves, as he has an opt out clause in his contract for next summer.
If Love makes it to next summer and becomes a free agent, nearly the entire league will be interested in signing him and teams like the Knicks and the Lakers will try to make plays for him in the summer. The Timberwolves are getting into a Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard situation, as they are going into the final year of Love's contract and risk losing him for noting if they don't trade him. The Denver Nuggets and Orlando Magic opted to trade their stars and it looks like the Wolves may do the same. Owner Glen Taylor said that the team is not planning on trading Love and that could mean he is hoping the team contends and then convinces Love to extend.
Love could always play out his full contract without opting out, but no one expects him to do that. The team has not made the playoffs with Love and with teams like the Warriors and the Bulls interested, it's unlikely the Wolves will convince him to stay. The Wolves will have partners of their choosing in the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns and Boston Celtics and all those teams will be making calls this summer about the availability of Love. The Houston Rockets are another team that could be interested, but they will need to move some players to get it done, including Chandler Parsons, Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin.