As the Cleveland Cavaliers edge closer to putting together a package that would help them acquire Kevin Love, a source to Sporting News' Sean Deveney says that "there are going to be more ants circling the picnic." A third or even a fourth team will probably be required to make a trade work, especially since Minnesota is hoping to dump the contracts of one or both of Kevin Martin and J.J. Barea in a Love trade.
What other teams could get involved in a Kevin Love trade?
The Nuggets, Celtics and Sixers are among teams that might help facilitate a trade for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Deveney's sources report that the Denver Nuggets, Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics are three teams that could offer something to make a complex trade work.
Who has cap space?
A trade would likely send Martin’s three years and $21 million remaining on his contract, plus Barea’s $4.5 million, expiring deal anywhere but where Love lands, be it Cleveland, Golden State or Chicago.
Philadelphia has all the cap space in the world, and probably wouldn't mind taking on an expiring deal if it got something -- draft picks would be appealing -- in return. As Peachtree Hoops detailed a week ago, there is about $4.1 million in cap space for the Atlanta Hawks and they could take on a Barea-sized contract with just a few decisions on their own free agents that have cap holds. And the Milwaukee Bucks still have around $10.3 million in space, according to Brew Hoop, though they've committed some number of that to eventually signing guard Jerryd Bayless.
The Phoenix Suns also have a number of draft picks and cap space at present, though it’s unclear what they would gain as a third party to a Love trade.
What else is there to work with?
There are a number of teams that have enough trade exception money to become involved by taking on the contracts of either Martin or Barea. The Sacramento Kings earned $7 million in trade exception money just from the sign-and-trade of Isaiah Thomas to the Phoenix Suns.
In terms of players that could be traded, Thaddeus Young is the biggest. The Sixers forward was widely expected to be traded last season and has $19.5 million and two years left on his current contract. Boston also could dump salaries of a veteran such as Brandon Bass if they see fit. And the Nuggets have enough pieces to sweeten a deal for Minnesota or perhaps a fourth team.
Then we get to draft picks. The Celtics have pulled in six first-round draft picks owed to them over the next four years, mostly thanks to the Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce deal last offseason. They and the Sixers also own a long list of second-round selections that could be tossed into a multi-team deal.
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