Snapshot: Rondo and Love at Fenway <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Need to see these guys together <a href="https://twitter.com/kevinlove">@kevinlove</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/RajonRondo">@RajonRondo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23collectingdimes&src=hash">#collectingdimes</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23breakingbackboards&src=hash">#breakingbackboards</a> <a href="http://t.co/aJz1aEvEqJ">pic.twitter.com/aJz1aEvEqJ</a></p>— Big Dub (@BigDub74) <a href="https://twitter.com/BigDub74/statuses/473194944661037056">June 1, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Yo <a href="https://twitter.com/kevinlove">@kevinlove</a> if you need advice on moving from Minnesota to Boston just let me know <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23CityOfChamps&src=hash">#CityOfChamps</a></p>— David Ortiz (@davidortiz) <a href="https://twitter.com/davidortiz/statuses/473239792537575424">June 1, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Can confirm Flip is the new <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Twolves&src=hash">#Twolves</a> coach. Told by two league sources that his staff will excite.</p>— Darren Wolfson (@DarrenWolfson) <a href="https://twitter.com/DarrenWolfson/statuses/474564875499610113">June 5, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>APNewsBreak: Flip Saunders is taking the head coaching job with the Minnesota Timberwolves.</p>— Jon Krawczynski (@APkrawczynski) <a href="https://twitter.com/APkrawczynski/statuses/474564341917057025">June 5, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>The Rubio camp is very excited w/ Flip. Had little interest in Joerger, a defensive-minded coach. Rubio contract talks begin soon. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23twolves&src=hash">#twolves</a></p>— Darren Wolfson (@DarrenWolfson) <a href="https://twitter.com/DarrenWolfson/statuses/474566022104899584">June 5, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Are the offers at the deadline going to be worse? Everyone seems like they're sort of lowballing anyway. You'd only push forward if you're Minnesota if you feel that they will.
Yes, you almost completely eliminate the teams like the Kings that migh tbe willing to trade without knowing if he'll resign. You get Love now as the Kigns, you have a whole year to see how the fit works and hopefully it works well, you have a good season and sell Love. Also, teams will continue to "low-ball" in the same way.
I can see the Wolves riding with Kevin Love for the first half of the season. If Minny starts to produce wins and looks like a legit Western Conference Contender then there is a better chance Love doesn't opt out his last year. If the team stays in the black hole of losing for the umpteenth season they expect a trade to happen before the deadline. The risky thing is that the offers the Wolves are getting now are the best offers they will get for Kevin Love before his contract expires. Golden State won't be as likely to offer Lee, Barnes, and Thompson/Green in the middle of the regular season compared to right now. If I ran the T-Wolves I'd trade him now to a team that in return I can get the most amount of assets back (as in players and draft picks).
Teams can just clear cap room for Love instead of rolling the dice. Also, you run the risk of him getting injured. Plus this draft is strong enough to get a nice replacement for him. Keeping him past the draft would be so Minnesota though...
Code: <div id="fb-root"></div> <script>(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_GB/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script> <div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/NBAinfostats/posts/464422683661388" data-width="466"><div class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/NBAinfostats/posts/464422683661388">Post</a> by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NBAinfostats">NBA Trade Information, Rumours, Team Changes & Stats</a>.</div></div> Chicago have offered draft picks, Butler or gibson (possibly both) and Boozer (expiring $16mil deal) for Love. Timber wolves have this as their biggest priority and is the current front runner. Good chance MIN inckude bench depth like shved, barea as well Very interesting!
"Acquiring Love would allow Chicago some breathing room for improvement, so they don’t have to pin all their hopes for success on Rose coming back and returning to his 2011 MVP form; Love gives them a larger margin for error and a possible centerpiece to build around if Rose’s surgically reparied knees are battered beyond repair." This is why I doubt KLove is looking to move to Chi-town. Until Rose can prove he is durable Chicago doesn't offer much of an improvement on his situation... other than being on the Leastern conference. Now, financially/sponsorship wise just about any town has to be better than Minnesota.
It definitely wouldn't be an instant contender w/o Rose - but a Noah-Love frontcourt in the East would be at least playoff worthy, which is more you say about Minnesota.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Flip Saunders: Kevin Love has no right to be frustrated <a href="http://t.co/AeoQ8XED7b">http://t.co/AeoQ8XED7b</a></p>— Kurt Helin (@basketballtalk) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketballtalk/statuses/475359369811333120">June 7, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
This isn't going to end well. Love is a grade 1 A-Hole and the Wolves are in no hurry to deal him... I could see this getting messy with Love going public. The Wolves have no desire to rebuild, I could see them trying to get proven players for Love.
I agree they are playoff and probably 2nd round material with Love and without a healthy Rose. I will only say that Noah has become vastly over rated. Thibs ran the offense through him, literally to a level that only few players get (Not even Harden). Thibs had to with an anemic offense.
