The Golden State Warriors have been working on a Kevin Love trade with the Timberwolves for some time and Minnesota is targeting Klay Thompson in the deal and if GS doesn't want to deal him, it's likely they will offer a combination of Harrison Barnes, David Lee, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala or Andrew Bogut to make it happen and it could come over a deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers for Andrew Wiggins.
The Timberwolves have been shopping Love this offseason and after teams like the Bulls, Rockets and Celtics showed initial interest, it looks to be down to the Cavaliers and Warriors for a trade if it happens this summer. According to ESPN.com, the Warriors are reluctant to offer Thompson, as they see him as a star player and a franchise cornerstone. The team is also worried about exposing the backcourt to defenses since Thompson is a solid defender on the ball and that would leave Steph Curry open to getting beat outside. So far the Warriors have not been willing to trade Thompson, but that could change as the season moves along.
The Timberwolves are trying to get the best deal they can for Love, as he has made it clear that he wants to test the market and he has the chance to do that next summer. Minnesota is into the Carmelo Anthony-Dwight Howard territory that the Nuggets and Magic were in a few years ago and the way they handle this could be what makes the Wolves a franchise on the rise or push them into another decline. The Nuggets turned their trade into a 50-win team, but the Magic have not been able to get back to the playoffs since moving Howard.
The Timberwolves hoped to make one more run at getting Love to sign an extension or finish out the last year of his contract, but he wants to make the playoffs and so far he has not done that with the Wolves. Love comes in after averaging over 25 points and 12 rebounds last season and he factored into the MVP mix and now he has the chance to be a major factor in the league next season. Getting Love makes either the Warriors or Cavaliers championship contenders and LeBron James has said that would like to play with Love after the two played together with USA Basketball.
The Wolves are playing the long game with Love and they are being patient to get the best package they can get for Love. The Cavaliers now reportedly are willing to trade Andrew Wiggins in the deal and they likely will offer Wiggins, Anthony Bennett and a future first round pick to get a trade done, but so far no deal is imminent.
The Warriors won over 50 games last season with Mark Jackson and they were a top 10 defense, but now with Steve Kerr coming in, the organization is looking to stay that sharp on that side of the floor. Adding Love makes the team better offensively and losing Lee doesn't change much on defense. The team clearly has a major decision to make and it will affect the entire league.
