While Kevin Love is no longer controlling the headlines when it comes to the offseason, the Minnesota Timberwolves forward is still a trade target for the Boston Celtics and the Golden State Warriors, trying to figure out what will it take to get him.
The Golden State Warriors are hoping that things change for Flip Saudners, who is the shot maker for the Timberwolves on the court and behind the scenes with his double role. The Timberwolves want Klay Thompson, but they’re also looking to offload the contract of Kevin Martin, which doesn’t sound so outrageous considering what Channing Frye signed for in Orlando, to join Kevin Love on his new team.
The Boston Celtics? They don’t have the assets, plain and simple. They might need to make some trade with a third team, maybe the Milwaukee Bucks, who seem to be open to a lot of things that don’t include Jabari Parker, Brandon Knight, Larry Sanders and John Henson. But they don’t want to give up on Rajon Rondo, at the moment at least, and still believe they can get Love this offseason without it costing them too many draft picks.
The Warriors might be playing this from the patient angle. The Warriors are a good team, with or without Love. Last season ended in disappointment – a first round playoff exit and firing of their head coach. But the material for success is still there: Stephen Curry, Andre Iguodala, Andrew Bogut, Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green. David Lee right now is staying but he is a trading chip, and there’s a big debate about Klay Thompson.
The Timberwolves have a team that might make the playoffs. The defense is in a bad spot, and the draft picks they made might not be able to make an immediate impact during the rookie season. In short, it’s hard to see the Timberwolves doing enough to convince Kevin Love to stay on and re-sign. It’s also interesting to see if Love’s situation and how it affects him will also change the way he plays basketball.
Right now the Timberwolves aren’t budging. They want teams to give up a whole lot for Kevin Love, but with only one season left on his contract and no assurances that he doesn’t bolt somewhere else in 2015, that’s a very big risk to take unless you’re planning on winning a championship right now. There are no assurances that it’s going to be a deadline trade during the season. Some teams prefer letting their players walk and get the cap space that opens up.