Lakers Trade Rumors: L.A Plans To Acquire Kevin Love, Kevin Durant & Re-Sign Again Kobe Bryant To Form Big Three
The Los Angeles Lakers could make a blockbuster move for Kevin Love in 2015 and then acquire Kevin Durant in 2016 to form perhaps the most dynamic frontcourt tandem in recent years.
Despite their struggles for these past two seasons, the purple-and-gold could find themselves back to contention in three or four years with a couple of potential juggernaut moves.
With Pau Gasol likely on his way out of the Lakers either before the trade deadline or this summer, the Lakers will have enough cap space to sign All-Star caliber players with max contracts for the next few summers.
Love, who spent his college basketball years with the UCLA Bruins, could force his way out of the Minnesota Timberwolves and join the Lakers probably in 2015, according to an Eastern Conference team general manager.
"They should trade him," one Eastern Conference executive said. "No one thinks he's staying. Everyone knows he wants to go to the Lakers," according to CBS Sports insider Ken Berger.
Love has been a double-double machine since his first season in the NBA, averaging 18.3 and 12.3 rebounds throughout his career. This season, the burly power forward is producing monster numbers with 26.1 points and 13.2 rebounds per game for the T-Wolves.
However, Love appears to be frustrated with his current situation with the T-Wolves, who struggled to keep themselves competitive in the Western Conference despite adding talents (Corey Brewer, Kevin Martin and Chase Budinger) last summer.
The All-Star forward also voiced out his displeasure towards the organization specifically the ball clubs owner Glen Taylor, who doesn't think Kevin Love is legitimate NBA Star.
"I have a very, very good memory, and I always remember the people who have done right by me, and the people who have done wrong by me," he says. "It will be embedded in my brain, and something I won't forget about. There's no telling what will happen. I would love to compete for a championship in Minnesota, but ...," Love said during an interview with Yahoo Sports a couple of years ago.
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Kobe and the Kevins
By 2015, Kobe Bryant would be in the final year of his two-year, 48.5 million contract extension. It's very uncertain the Lakers are going to win a title with an ageing Kobe leading the way, but he can surely capture another ring if he teams up with Love and possibly Durant in 2016.
Reports indicated the Lakers are expected to push hard in acquiring Durant when he becomes a free-agent in the summer of 2016. By that time, Bryant's contract already expired but there's always the possibility that the Black Mamba fend off father time for at least two more seasons and help Love and Durant win a championship together.
For Bryant-Durant-Love triumvirate to be materialized, Kobe needs to take a huge paycut for a chance to win ring no.6. It might sound like a fantasy, but the Lakers are no stranger to blockbuster deals.
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