The Kevin Love trade rumors started early this offseason and with the 2014 playoffs going on, teams like the Houston Rockets, Chicago Bulls, Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, NY Knicks and LA Lakers have emerged as options for the Minnesota Timberwolves if they want to consider trading their star, as the team could risk losing him for nothing without trading him before the summer of 2015.
Love is coming into the summer knowing he can opt out next year and according to ESPN.com, he has identified a number of teams he would be willing to go to, including the Chicago Bulls and the Golden State Warriors. Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor said that he expects the team to hold onto Love and not trade him this offseason and that means it's possible he could be traded during the season next year at the trade deadline. Love signed an extension with the franchise a couple years ago and now his option to opt out is coming up and the Wolves will have to decide what course of action to take.
Based on past history with Deron Williams, Dwight Howard and Carmelo Anthony regarding players coming into the final years of their contracts, it's better to take care of things quicker rather than let them drag out. The team leverage goes down the longer things take to develop and with Love hitting the free agent market next summer most likely, other teams will have weaker and weaker offers by the day. Love is an exceptional player and he has been the main focus of trade rumors for two years now. The Knicks and Lakers offer big city life for Love, but it's more likely he wants a winning team like the Bulls or Warriors after being stuck up north for so long.
Love has said that he plans on testing the market and now the clock is ticking for Minnesota, as they could trade him this summer and start rebuilding now, or go for one more try at the playoffs this season. The team could look where they are come the deadline and then trade Love if the team is out of contention, but it's doubtful that a deal in the winter will be better than the summer since teams know that Love will be hitting the market. Last season Love averaged a double-double with 26 points and 12 rebounds and also got some MVP votes and now he could end up getting traded this offseason.
The Suns and Celtics are in the race by virtue of having so many first round picks, which have become very valuable in this NBA. The Warriors are an intriguing option, as they have players like Harrison Barnes, David Lee and Klay Thompson to trade along with Andre Bogut, while the Rockets could also be in the mix. The team doesn't need Love with Dwight Howard there already, but he could be an option fi the team trades away Omer Asik or Jeremy Lin to clear cap space. The Knicks have been terrible over the past year, but Phil Jackson reportedly wants to make a push for Love and names like Iman Shumpert and Tyson Chandler could be involved if he goes through with it.
