The Golden State Warriors thought a trade for Kevin Love be complete right now and they would be picking out a number and jersey for their newest star forward. The team had a deal in place prior to the NBA Draft that appeared to have the Minnesota Timberwolves sold until they backed out at the last minute with greater demands. Unwilling to meet those, the Cleveland Cavaliers hopped over the Warriors with their own package and have since taken the lead. However, the Warriors could be planning one last ditch effort to make a go at Love before hit is too late.
According to Sam Amico of FOX Sports, the Warriors have a good chance at getting back into the Love race if they make Klay Thompson available. Minnesota must decide if they like the idea of getting No. 1 draft pick Andrew Wiggins or proven star Thompson. Amico believes that getting Thompson is actually the better tradeoff for Love considering the Timberwolves originally were making it known that they only wanted "NBA ready" players. Thompson certainly fits that description while the jury is out on Wiggins. Of course most NBA analysts believe the sky is the limit for Wiggins, he has not proven anything yet.
The Warriors were originally refusing to give up Thompson and after failing to involve a third team in trade to offer some relief, the Cleveland Cavaliers gained speed in the Love negotiations. According to ESPN.com, the Cavaliers and Timberwolves have a deal in place and are simply waiting for Wiggins to officially be available before signing off on the trade. While the exact players involved is unknown, the premise of the trade is Anthony Bennett will head to the Philadelphia 76ers. Thaddeus Young will leave for Minnesota and Love will join LeBron James in Cleveland.
The willingness to deal Thompson could come down to contract demands. According to Yahoo Sports, Thompson wants a max contract and the Warriors are not positive they are willing to hand that out. Thompson has been hearing all offseason just how valuable he is to Minnesota and he is certainly ready for the team to show that in terms of dollar signs. However, Thompson shows some unhappiness towards the organization, they might just trade him instead. The Warriors have under 30 days to determine if they will move for Love or else the Cavaliers win the race.
