The rumors surrounding Kevin Love will only get worse as the offseason gets closer. The forward continues to say all of the right things in terms of his commitment to the Cleveland Cavaliers, but the fact is he will be a free agent in 2015 regardless and could easily head elsewhere. Several teams are certainly hoping that Love has every intention of dipping a toe into the free agency pool and the New York Knicks will be one of them.
It is becoming a popular opinion that Love has no intentions of returning to the Cavaliers and will head elsewhere this upcoming summer. Miami Heat executive Alonzo Mourning is reporting that Love is ready to leave Cleveland at the first chance he gets and could be headed straight to the Los Angeles Lakers. Mourning told SLAM Magazine that Love is unhappy in Cleveland and ready to leave. He predicts the Lakers is where the forward lands given his West Coast connections.
Mourning's connection with Love is unknown, but he is certainly not saying something someone has not already said. Love has yet to saying anything that would make someone believe he is not returning to the Cavaliers, but little bits of drama between he and LeBron James plus his decrease in stats this season might be all people need to believe he will not be back in Cleveland come the 2015-16 season.
The New York Post is reporting that Love is still very much in the plans for the New York Knicks should he head elsewhere in free agency. The team was interested in acquiring the forward in a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves, but did not have enough to win the team over. However, if Love hits the open market the Knicks have a max contract with his name on it.
The Knicks will have to prioritize players in free agency. With several holes to fill on the roster, New York is getting linked to plenty of big names this upcoming offseason. Rajon Rondo is reportedly a priority as he could be leaving the Dallas Mavericks. Greg Monroe and Marc Gasol are certainly options along with Roy Hibbert and LaMarcus Aldridge. The Knicks will have plenty of salary cap space to work with, but giving out two giant contracts to Rondo and Love is not the ideal setup for the team. If one player signs, the other is unlikely to get a contract as well.
