The Kevin Love trade rumors have started up early this year and now teams like the Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, NY Knicks, LA Lakers, Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns as well as the Cleveland Cavaliers could be in the mix for a deal with the Timberwolves if the team decides to trade their star.
Love is coming off one of his best seasons in the league and he finished a full year after being injured the previous season and averaged a double-double and factored into the MVP race. Love now has the chance to hit the market next summer to try and force a trade and he said that the Bulls and Warriors are his top options right now.
The Wolves have said they do not want to trade Love, but he has made it clear he plans on testing the market and that means not signing an extension with the Timberwolves. Love has been one of the best players at his position for a number of years now and he is the main target for teams heading into the summer and if they don't' get a deal done now, it's likely it will be during the season or a bidding war will start once he hits free agency in 2015.
Love averaged 26 points and 12 rebounds last season and now his career numbers are 19 points and 12 rebounds per game and on top of that he also had an impressive .4 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.5 blocks. The biggest thing for Love was staying healthy this season and he was able to do that after playing in just 18 games last year, playing in over 70 games this past season. Love has been in the league for six years and this was the most amount of games he has played in since he was a rookie, so anyone worried about his health can forget about that now.
The Timberwolves will have some major questions to consider this offseason, as they have Kevin Love coming into what could be the last year of his contract with his opt out coming next summer in 2015. The Timberwolves likely will wait to see if the team is in contention heading into the trade deadline next season before making any moves with Love, but there's always a chance one team will floor them with a proposal this summer. Love and the Timberwolves are in a similar situation that Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard had with the Nuggets and Magic, as the teams had to weigh whether to trade their stars for something or risk losing them for nothing as free agents.
The Houston Rockets could be a player for Kevin Love if they can't convince Carmelo Anthony to sign, as they see this summer as a chance to build up a big 3 for Dwight Howard and James Harden. The team reportedly is one of the clubs looking to target Anthony this summer along with the Chicago Bulls and if that doesn't work out, GM Daryl Morey could turn his attention to Love and the Timberwolves. The Rockets may not necessarily need Love alongside Howard and Harden, but that doesn't mean Morey won't go after him anyway and he has shown in the past that he is not afraid to pull off big moves or think outside the box when it comes to trades.
Morey has to decide on what to do with Parsons, as he was the main target in a proposed trade with the Celtics for Rajon rondo and if he explores that again, he likely will have to give him up. On top of that, Parsons can be a restricted free agent now or an unrestricted free agent next year and that will play into what Morey does as well. Love is set to become a free agent next summer after signing his extension with the Timberwolves and of the team holds onto him during the summer, the trade deadline becomes the next big date on the calendar. The Wolves likely will trade Love if they are out of contention next season, as they want to make sure they get something in return for him, ala what the Nuggets and Magic did with Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard.
Morey saw a situation with the Oklahoma City Thunder when they did not want to pay Harden a max contract and while it cost the team some high draft picks, they now have one of the best scorers in the league. Harden is a budding superstar and it also weakened a rival with the trade and now he could look to do it again with Love. The Rockets have money tied up in Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik and any move made would have to include at least one of those names and on top of that, the situation involving Chandler Parsons will also play a factor.
Marc Stein from ESPN.com reported that the Celtics could actually be a real player for Love depending on how this summer plays out for the team, while the Houston Rockets are another one to watch, as they could be motivated to make a move after losing in the playoffs to the Portland Trail Blazers. The Rockets have the pieces to move with Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik and while they are high priced players, they are on expiring contracts and that could give the team enough to make a move. The Rockets will likely have to give up Chandler Parsons in any move they make, but the team may think that is worth it to get a player like Love in the fold.
