With the 2014 NBA Draft now just three weeks away, the Kevin Love rumors are really starting to heat up. The Sacramento Kings are reportedly willing to trade for Love without the assurance of a long-term extension, and are prepared to give up anybody but DeMarcus Cousins, according to FOX Sports Ohio's Sam Amico and Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee.
Kevin Love trade rumors roundup: Kings willing to deal anybody but DeMarcus Cousins
The Kings are willing to take a major gamble on Love, while the Wolves aren’t so sure about making a deal with Boston.
Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
Amico calls the Kings the "leaders" in the Love sweepstakes, while Jones says the Kings have talked to the Minnesota Timberwolves about a trade, although nothing is imminent.
The centerpieces of any deal between the Kings and Wolves would likely be the No. 8 pick in the draft and Ben McLemore, who was the No. 7 pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. Rudy Gay and Isaiah Thomas are also options to move, but there are some complications with those two. Gay still needs to decide whether he wants to pick up his $19.3 million player option for next season, while Thomas is a restricted free agent.
If the deal centers around the eighth pick and McLemore, the rest of the transaction could involve future assets and players like Jason Thompson, Travis Outlaw, Derrick Williams or Jason Terry to make salaries work.
Wolves not enamored with Celtics' offer
When Love visited Boston last weekend, speculation ran wild that the star power forward was going to wind up with the Boston Celtics. But not so fast, says ESPN Boston’s Jackie MacMullan.
While the Celtics do have several attractive assets to trade, including the No. 6 and No. 17 pick in the upcoming draft, MacMullan reports the Wolves aren't all that enamored with what Boston can offer. The Celtics are a bit lacking in terms of NBA talent to send to Minnesota, especially considering Rajon Rondo won't be involved in any deal. The whole point of acquiring Love would be to pair him with Rondo.
Summer of Love
The Wolves have reportedly received better offers from other teams, including the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls can offer salary relief in the form of Carlos Boozer, who only has one year left on his deal, as well as players like Taj Gibson and Jimmy Butler. Chicago has the 16th and 19th picks in the draft, and they also own the rights to Nikola Mirotic, arguably the best young player in Europe.
There are also a few other reasons why the Wolves might not be too hot about trading Love to Boston. One, Wolves owner Glen Taylor reportedly isn't keen on sending another star player to the Celtics after how the Kevin Garnett situation played out. Also, the relationship between Wolves president Flip Saunders and Celtics president Danny Ainge isn't nearly as cordial as the one between Ainge and former Wolves general manager Kevin McHale.
Trade unlikely until coach is hired
The Love rumors may be flying around, but it’s likely no move will actually be made until the Wolves hire a new coach, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski.
The new coach will try and sell Love on his vision for the team going forward, and perhaps the star big man will be convinced to give him a chance. But if Love doesn’t budge and still wants out, then a deal could come together quickly.
Minnesota appeared to have Dave Joerger lined up to coach the team after a fiasco with the Memphis Grizzlies, but Grizzlies owner Robert Pera changed his mind and decided he wanted Joerger back. Other known candidates include Sam Mitchell, Lionel Hollins and Vinny Del Negro.
See More:
