NBA Rumours: Kevin Love to New York?
Look out Minnesota, a big city team is targeting your prized superstar when the offseason rolls in 2015.
The New York Knicks is apparently thinking of Kevin Love already as the franchise is mired in another season of mediocrity.
Pegged as one of the Eastern Conference’s top contenders, the Knicks can only muster two wins in six games to start their campaign in the 2013-2014 NBA regular season.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, the Knicks will be chasing Love in the summer of 2016 when the Minnesota forward becomes a free agent if he exercises his Early Termination Option (ETO)
Love is currently on payroll by the Wolves set to be paid roughly $45M in the next three seasons. But he can choose to leave for free agency after the second year because of the ETO.
At that point, the Knicks' payroll will open up cap space, and they'll have a chance to attract would-be free agents in the market. Amare Stoudemire's toxic contract ($23.4M in 2014-15) will end, and so will the deals of Andrea Bargnani ($12M) and Tyson Chandler ($14.6M).
Curiously, the contract for their main man, Carmelo Anthony, ($23.5M) will also expire after 2015. And that is assuming Anthony picks up the Player Option for the following year.
The best-case scenario for New York is that Melo does stay in New York, whilst the front office successfully entice Love in leaving Minnesota early and signing with the Knicks.
For that to happen, the Knicks have to show that they are legit contenders in the next few years. This season’s performance is a bad sign, but they can still turn it around despite a big payroll of over $86.8M—second-highest in the NBA this season.
Minnesota’s performance in 2013 and 2014 will also dictate Love’s decision. If the Timberwolves can show improvement and become serious playoff contenders, it could lure back the 25-year-old to stay in Minnesota.
Behind Love’s averages of 26.4 points (2nd in the NBA), 15.0 rebounds (1st) 5.0 assists -- either career-high or near career-high numbers—the Timberwolves are off to a respectable 5-3 start in the regular season.
The rise of young stars Ricky Rubio (8.6 PPG and 8.9 APG) and Nikola Pekovic (13.6 PPG and 9.3 RPG) makes the T-Wolves the dark horse to make some noise in the Western Conference.
In short, dream on New York.