Kevin Love has the attention of every team in the NBA. It has been widely reported the forward has no intentions of signing a contract extension with the Minnesota Timberwolves and will test the market in 2015. That has opened him up to a swirl of trade rumors with the offseason quickly approaching. So when Love travels to Boston and is seen conversing with other Boston athletes, the media goes crazy.
Love enjoyed a weekend in Boston that included being seen with Rob Gronkowski and taking in a Boston Red Sox game. Things got even crazier when a picture of the forward and Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo made its way to Twitter. The Celtics have been linked to a trade involving Love, so naturally speculation ran wild that Rondo was attempting to recruit Love over to Boston, something the point guard denied.
Rondo spoke with reporters at the Boston Celtics' practice facility on Monday and denied any idea that he was attempting to persuade Love to come to Boston. According to the point guard, he and the forward talked for possibly 39 seconds.
"You get right to it, huh?" Rondo said, via MassLive.com. "I talked to Kevin for about 39 seconds. We didn't talk a lot. ... We do work together, we play against each other, we compete. So when I saw Kevin, I spoke, told him good luck with his time here in Boston. He spent a couple days here in Boston, and I told him I was spending a couple months here in Boston. When I was at the game, some people came up to me and told me that Kevin was sitting in some really nice seats. As I was exiting out, I was leaving the game, in the past couple of suites, and he was sitting there. His seats were way better than mine. I don't know (why). I actually requested to sit on the Monster. I wanted the real experience. Nothing came out there; a couple fly balls got close but I didn't catch anything yesterday."
Boston getting Love is a longshot. The team could possibly sign him in free agency, but any trade for the forward would be hard to come by without some creativity. There is no doubt Boston will at least inquire about Love's price tag as they also attempt to retain Rondo. The point guard is approaching free agency as well and is in the same boat as Love as far as trade rumors go. Showing interest in the forward could help Boston retain the point guard. Rondo certainly likes the idea.
"We would be a lot better if we had a guy like Kevin," Rondo said. "He's a range-shooting four. He's going to help on the glass. Obviously we haven't been the best on the glass in the last couple years, he'll do a better job at that aspect. But this is all speculation. Nothing's happened, nothing's set in stone. We could talk about Kevin all day or we can insert Carmelo (Anthony's) name in there all day. Nothing's happened."
Rondo intends on testing the market as well, but has openly voiced his preference of staying in Boston for the long-term. Getting Anthony or Love would help that effort.