Gerald Wallace's contact is a cap killer when it comes to Boston being able to build a big 3. Flip is NOT, I repeat NOT going to take back Wallace's contact in any Love trade. What that means is if Boston does indeed get Love it's basically going to be at the minimum a season and a half before they can add the third piece to the Rondo-Love core. And Love and his agent are going to figure that out sooner or later.
Interesting that you say that Anthony to Houston is just a rumor yet you somehow know that Dwight isn't happy. Has that even been reported? You're being rather inconsistent there. Now back to why Howard signed here in the first place. If what you said is true then he shouldn't even consider Houston yet he signed here. Obviously he didn't care about our playoff success over the last few years. Dallas dumped salary for the express purpose of acquiring a star. Their two primary targets both signed with teams that hadn't had success in the playoffs in recent history. That directly contridicts your theory. Chris Paul resigned with the most inept pro franchise of the last 20 years who'd had zero success. If money was all that mattered then Paul would have stayed in New Orleans. Again refutes your theory. Howard tried his best to get to the Nets, another team with no history of success. Let's look at the flip side. Did Lebron and Bosh sign with Miami to form a big 3 and have a chance at a title or because Miami had won a title with Shaq/Wade? Do you think free agents will flock to LA this offseason because of their titles ? Why didn't Detroit get any free agent stars after their title run? How about Chicago, who did their titles get them? Boozer? Was historical signings back up your claim? To me it appears that the bulk of the ones I can think of directly contradict your idea.
And even then it's only possible if Rondo is back to his pre injury form and if he resigns in Boston.
Kinda funny how Love will want to leave Minny to play with the same PG, Rubio plays almost the same style of basketball....the edge of course to Rondo.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Rajon Rondo says he talked to Kevin Love for about "39 seconds" onSunday and did not make a sales pitch for <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23celtics&src=hash">#celtics</a></p>— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) <a href="https://twitter.com/GwashburnGlobe/statuses/473515112033439745">June 2, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
James Harden is the third best scorer in the Playoffs . Why would you call him out as though he had played badly? Y
Its bad but its a two year deal starting this Summer. If they are looking at cap room for the 2015/16 season, than he'd be considered a 1 year 10 mil a year expiring. I dont think its out of the realm of possibility for Ainge to attach one or more draft picks to that contract to create cap space if they absolutely had to. If people here think Morey can move Lin's contract with minimal assets going to another team than there is a good possibility that Ainge can do the same with Wallace depending on whether or not he has enough leftover assets after a Love trade. You'd also have to think that Jeff Green would be going back to Minny in a Love trade under most circumstances. Ainge will have more than enough time and assets to make a good run at the 2015/16 free agency. Also with the cap increasing, and seeing as though even with a Rondo extension they might easily have 15 to 20 mil in cap space to play with even with the Wallace contract. However i'd be surprised if he waited that long to make secondary moves with those assets before next Summer.
Ainge will have to use up his available picks to acquire Love. He won't have a pick worth paying $10 million for since that's what a team will have to pay Wallace.
Not sure if this has been posted yet: Bucher Insider Buzz: Kevin Love Would Choose Warriors Over Rockets
How many picks do you think he's going to have to trade to get Kevin Love? You really think he's going to need to trade ALL of these???? -2014 - #6 pick -2014 - #17 pick -2015 or 2016 - 1 of the two 1st rounders -207 or 2018 - 1 of the two 1st rounder + acquired picks- -2014 first round draft pick from Brooklyn -2015 first round draft pick from Philadelphia -2015 first round draft pick from L.A. Clippers -2016 first round draft pick from Brooklyn -2017 first round draft pick from Brooklyn -2018 first round draft pick from Brooklyn That's 10 first round picks available to be traded.... + Jeff Green, Sullinger, Olynyk, etc. Getting a draft pick haul is inevitable but 10 first rounders + probably a bevy of 2nd rounders + decent players is unheard of, and is NOT going to happen. Ainge only needs to give up a little bit more than the other guy. Ainge will absolutely be able to get rid of an expiring contract next Summer & will almost certainly be able to create a ton of cap space with or without Gerald Wallace. I said before that they'd still have 15 to 20 million even with Wallace on the books AND Rondo extended at 18 mil a year that next year which he might not even get.
That SportingNews article that redhotrox posted is a good one though. Some substance there. I was a bit skeptical that the Wolves would smarten up and trade Love sooner than later. I thought they would hang onto him until the trade deadline. Sounds like privately they know they HAVE to move him. Boston clearly is in the pole position with the asset package. From a Rockets perspective, it would be nice to know that if they can't get Love by draft night, they can go "ALL IN" on going after Carmelo (or anyone else they are hot on). Love clearly is the #1 option, but it would be nice to know the status of acquiring him BEFORE the FA period begins.
Most of those picks aren't anything special. Only the #6 and possibly the Philly pick (depending on protections) are anything special. Phoenix is in the same situation lots of picks but most are non lottery.