Kevin Love Trade Rumors: Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Rockets, NY Knicks, Lakers For Timberwolves Over Carmelo Anthony Contract?

May 13, 2014 12:35 PM EDT
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love (42) in action in the first quarter against the San Antonio Spurs forward Boris Diaw (33) at Target Center."

The Kevin Love trade rumors are going to hit a nuclear level this summer, as teams like the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, NY Knicks, LA Lakers and Brooklyn Nets may angle with the Timberwolves to get a deal done and he is getting into Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard territory for Minnesota and that could mean he will be on the move for 2014.

Love has been the most talked about player in the league when it comes to trades over the past two years, as he has been stuck in Minnesota and out of the playoffs as one of the best players in the league and as evidenced by the past moves by teams, it's very unlikely he remains there. Love is the main target for teams looking to build around a superstar and ever since he signed his contract extension with the Wolves, teams have been waiting for the summer of 2015 when he is a free agent and because of that, some teams are looking to get the jump on Love with the Wolves this summer.

Love had another great season in Minnesota and the main reason why this summer is so interesting is because he is entering the Carmelo and Howard phase, meaning it's put up or shut up time for the Wolves. Both the Denver Nuggets and Orlando Magic opted to trade their stars for something rather than lose them for nothing and that is now what the Wolves must decide. The trade may not come during the summer, but the groundwork for one could and that could lead to a deal at the deadline during the season. If Love remains with the team through the summer, the trading deadline is the next date for teams to look at and if the Wolves are out of playoff contention by then, a deal could be going down.

Love averaged 26 points and 12 rebounds last season and now his career numbers are 19 points and 12 rebounds per game and on top of that he also had an impressive .4 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.5 blocks. The biggest thing for Love was staying healthy this season and he was able to do that after playing in just 18 games last year, playing in over 70 games this past season. Love has been in the league for six years and this was the most amount of games he has played in since he was a rookie, so anyone worried about his health can forget about that now.

Marc Stein from ESPN.com reported that the Celtics could actually be a real player for Love depending on how this summer plays out for the team, while the Houston Rockets are another one to watch, as they could be motivated to make a move after losing in the playoffs to the Portland Trail Blazers. The Rockets have the pieces to move with Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik and while they are high priced players, they are on expiring contracts and that could give the team enough to make a move. The Rockets will likely have to give up Chandler Parsons in any move they make, but the team may think that is worth it to get a player like Love in the fold.

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