Wolves and Nikola Pekovic agree to 5yr/60 extention

Welcome to Houston Kevin Love

 

Wow he got paid. Good for him. This signing makes Omer's contract look even better

 

it's the going rate for good centers in the league.

 

Bargain deal for a good center. The 5th year was the sweetener. Love, I'm sure appreciates not being deemed worthy of their 5 year contract.

 

Omer Asik's value on the trade market just got a lot better now that all the starting caliber centers are off the market.

Way to go Morey for being patient about this trade, and not jumping at the first Ryan Anderson type of trade that's sure to come your way. The value will probably be at its peak in February as well. That's when I'm expecting a deal to come to fruition.

I'm totally OK keeping Asik by the way, but I am realistic that he will be moved. Asik has only next year and the following left on his deal, and will not re-sign in Houston afterwards to be a backup. Since the last year of his deal actually pays him 15 million dollars (while only eating up 8.4 in cap space), a lot of financially strapped teams might shy away from having him if only for the final year of his contract.

Asik will be moved, and Pekovic coming off the market makes teams pursuit for Asik that much more in demand.

 

Pekovic actually put up better stats than marc gasol.His PER is over 20.

 

itshappening.gif

 

If Kevin Love was going to be traded at some point this season, Minnesota would have just let Pekovic walk or used him in a S&T. They are going all in on Kevin Love/Rubio with the Pek, Martin, & Budinger signings.

It will take a failed season for Minnesota to even think about trading Love. Even if they do end up at the bottom of the West, I still think they wait till Feb 2015 to trade him. I dont think Morey will want to wait that long to take a chance at acquiring Love in trade.

 

Its an Adelman coached team that features the likes of Kevin Martin, Budinger, and Kevin Love.... Surprised they didn't also trade for Scola when he was available a few weeks ago.

They aren't going to try and defend anyone this year.... they will try to win by scoring 130 a night.

 

Oh, im not talking about Minnis plans. I'm saying Love is going to demand a trade eventually. They aren't making the playoffs again this year.

Reality is, he ends up a Laker.

 

Should be a nightly layup drill against the Wolves.

 

Love can demand a trade all he wants, but he still have 3 more guaranteed years left on his deal. He has no leverage until the Summer of 2015... which is the Summer before 2015/16 when he will be a free agent in 2016.

You want the Rockets to sit around and hope & pray that they get Love in a trade in the Summer of 2015?

The Rockets have a window to compete between 2013/14 to 2015/16 when Dwight can opt out of his final year and become a free agent to possibly leave for greener pastures...

Morey will not sit and wait around for Kevin Love to be available in trades I can guarantee that much. He has a real shot at LaMarcus Aldridge this February and I would assume that is his #1 target right now. Im sure they are open to taking or making calls to Flip Saunders, but Im sure they are realistic that its really just a pipe dream at this point.

For Love going to the Lakers... I think its a possibility in the future, but to get the leverage to force his way there, he's going to have to wait till 2015 or maybe even February of 2016 to then get that leverage to force his way to the Lakers as the destination he is choosing to go to in 2016 free agency. Alot can happen in 3 years... so who knows. I dont think he will be on the Rockets mind though in 2016.

 

That's a fair contract for him. He's one of those rare centers that can create their own offense and very efficiently at that. He's also good on the boards. If he could play any defense he would have gotten a max contract.

 

Morey will act in the best interests of the Rockets. That said there is a reasonable possibility that he will be gone at the trade deadline. Who will be available then? Your guess is as good as my guess.

 

And that folks is how you become the most mediocre team in the NBA.

You guys know he's injury prone too right?

 

He opts out in 2015 for sure.

Morey has put himself in position to be able to offer big money to Love in free agency in 2015.

 

I do agree with the poster who brought up how Kevin Love (one of the best PF's in the game) got 4 years out of the Wolves. Meanwhile, Pekovic---and probably Rubio?---get 5 years.

In a book and miniseries called "Sho-Gun", a samurai pisses on the back of a just-shipwrecked Englishman (who can't resist or he and his crew are dead meat) to teach him a lesson in humility. Kevin Love must feel like that Englishman.

Parsons' impending extension might kill the KLove hope anyway. I can see Morey wanting to work everything to max advantage---i.e., waiting til summer 2015 to pay Parsons, or, like some fool posters here believe, trade him so we can keep the cap space; but I think Parsons' value on and off the court (plus a feisty agent) will get him a $9 million per starting in 2014. And that would probably be the end of getting KLove.

Besides, don't we need depth? Bosh's value as the 3rd All Star doesn't come into play much until Wade's knee acts up and someone has to step up. I'd be content with two All Stars and two near-Stars (after Parsons, I don't know who that'd be, necessarily) and solid bench players, the San Antonio model of things.

 

In all fairness, Love got a four-year EXTENSION that extended out his contract until FIVE years after the date of the extension. Had Love been a FREE AGENT (as Pekovic was), there is zero chance that the Wolves would not have RE-signed him to a five-year deal.