Kevin Love did not get traded before the NBA Draft like many thought he would. However, with free agency officially in full swing, there is still the potential a deal could be made this offseason. Never say never with NBA trade rumors. With Love set to test free agency next summer, the Minnesota Timberwolves are expected to seek a deal sometime in the near future and plenty of teams will be waiting.
A deal for Love will not come until Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James have signed in free agency. They are two marquee stars on the open market right now and teams will ideally like to sign one player and then make a trade for the Timberwolves forward. Any team that misses out on both stars will also be looking to strike a deal. According to AP Sports writer Jon Krawczynski, the Houston Rockets, Chicago Bulls, Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics are all still interested in a deal for Love, but will wait out free agency first.
A deal for Love could be something that happens right before team workouts begin. The Timberwolves will hold off, in no rush to deal away their franchise player without the absolute right package in place. Every team interested in Love is also interested in Anthony and James so do not expect a blockbuster deal to happen any time soon.
The Chicago Bulls are still very interested in Love despite cooling down on their trade offer. The team is very interested in signing Anthony and then making a deal for the forward to give them a starting lineup that could consist of Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Anthony, Love and possibly someone like Carlos Boozer if they do not amnesty him first. The Bulls have offered Taj Gibson and Jimmy Butler in return, but have backed off negotiations with free agency now the priority.
The Houston Rockets appear to be the unlikely landing spot. The team has traded away Omer Asik, one of their strong assets in a trade package. They could still escalate a sign-and-trade with Chandler Parsons and include point guard Jeremy Lin. That would give the team enough cap space to have Love and sign either Anthony or James.
The Boston Celtics could win out simply because they have yet to show any interest in Anthony or James. The team is hoping Love's friendship with Rajon Rondo works in their favor. The forward has already been out to Bean Town for a visit, but the Celtics trade package of Jeff Green and Jared Sullinger is not that enticing. Expect negotiations to pick up as free agency starts to calm down.