NBA Trade News: Phoenix Suns Could Pull off Trade For Kevin Love; Minnesota Timberwolves To Get First Round Picks, Young Players & Expiring Contracts
Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star power forward Kevin Love might not be going to be a free-agent yet until the summer of 2015, but the interest in acquiring the burly big man has been immense. The Los Angeles Lakers has emerged as the top free agency destination for the former UCLA product two years from now, but the T-Wolves have all the capacity to alter his plan with one sweeping move.
Love, who is putting up MVP worthy numbers (25.6 ppg and 13.3 rpg while shooting 46 percent from the field), has openly expressed his frustrations several times about the team's struggle to become a serious playoff contender.
Despite the fact the Wolves front office added more talents - Kevin Love, Corey Brewer, Ronnie Turiaf, & Chase Budinger - to their lineup last summer, the Wolves struggled to stay above .500 in a very competitive Western Conference from top to bottom.
In the latest article on NBA Lord, Love is viewed the only reason why the Timberwolves remain in the mix for a spot in the postseason. Unfortunately for them, the injury to one of their key cogs (Kevin Martin with a broken thumb) suggested the team is on its way to lottery at the end of the year.
"It's no secret that Kevin Love is the only reason the Timberwolves have gone from being a cellar-dweller of the NBA to being a team that is "kind of in the mix for a playoff spot, but not really". If their sub-par play wasn't enough of an indicator, the broken thumb of Kevin Martin should be enough to indicate for all intents and purposes that the Timberwolves are not making the playoffs this season," via NBA Lord.
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Suns, Wolves Blockbuster Deal for Love
The Suns have been spending the past few weeks looking for an All-Star caliber player that would complete the core of the team alongside point guard Goran Dragic and combo guard Eric Bledsoe. Phoenix have already inquired for the availability of Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies big man Zach Randolph and recently Sacramento Kings swingman Rudy Gay. Unfortunately for them, these teams are either not interested to move their star players or asking too much in return.
There's no secret that Love is going to be one of the hottest free-agents in 2015, and the possibility of him bolting out of the Twin City becomes clearer as days pass by. Trying to avoid what the Cleveland Cavaliers suffered when LeBron James decided to leave for the Miami Heat in 2010, the Wolves might pull off a trade before the Feb. 20 deadline. Apparently, the Suns sound to be an interesting trade partner because of their assets (draft picks, promising young players and expiring contracts).
"Now it should be noted that the idea of Kevin Love going to the Suns isn't stemming from any rumor that I've heard but rather has come from my own intuition and personal trade radar or "trade-dar" or whatever you want to call it. The reason why I think the Valley of the Sun is a possible destination for Kevin Love is because the Phoenix Suns have already been rumored to be interested in acquiring a quality big man such as the Lakers' Pau Gasol or the Grizzlies' Zach Randolph at the trade deadline.
More importantly, they also have the assets to pull off such a deal due to the fact that they have four first round picks and the expiring contract of Emeka Okafor to dangle out in front of teams. It should be noted that two of those first round picks are heavily protected, but even so, that doesn't take away from the fact that they have some attractive assets to offer teams in order to land a star such as Zach Randolph, Pau Gasol, or as I would like to put forth, Kevin Love," NBA Lord pointed out.
The Suns can make this deal happen by sending three first-round picks, Markieff Morris, Alex Len, and the expiring contract of Emeka Okafor for Love. Morris and Len are young stud with lots of upside while Okafor's fat and insured expiring contract will allow the Wolves to create enough space for this summer's free agency period. But the most precious prize in the trade is the three draft picks that could turn into cornerstones of the team.
On the other hand, the Suns will finally have a legitimate superstar in Love that can help them contend for a title in the coming years. Of course, Love can still opt-out from his contract in 2015, but the Suns are just one piece away from becoming a major force in the Western Conference, and reaching the postseason might be enough to convince the All-Star to stay in the Valley of the Suns for at least four more years.