The Kevin Love trade rumors are continuing through the 2014 finals and this summer, ESPN reports teams like the Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, Boston Celtics, NY Knicks and LA Lakers will target the Timberwolves star and the futures of players like Rajon Rondo, Omer Asik, Jeremy Lin, Chandler Parsons, Carmelo Anthony and Kyrie Irving could hang in the balance depending on what some of those teams try to do regarding Love and other free agents this offseason.
Love has been the most talked about player when it comes to franchise moves over the past year, as the Timberwolves have to decide whether or not they want to trade their budding superstar. According to ESPN.com, owner Glen Taylor does not want to trade Love and that comes despite Love saying he will not be signing an extension with the team and wants to test the market if he hits free agency after this season and into the summer of 2015. Love can also decide to play out his contract into next year, but he is likely to opt out when he gets the chance, as teams will be looking to give him a max contract to convince him to sign with them and teams like the Warriors, Bulls and Rockets are expected to go after him hard.
The Bulls are one team that has a chance to trade for Love, as they have the assets to make a move and the motivation, as they know Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah won't be young forever. Rose is coming off of his second straight year of a serious injury and the Bulls are hoping that he can stay healthy for a full year for the first time in multiple seasons. The Bulls are going to have to move Carlos Boozer and his $15 million salary and he had a down season for the team with his worst averages in a few years and he was not a four quarter player anymore and he could get traded or hit with the amnesty laws, while Jimmy Butler or Taj Gibson could also get moved to free up cap space for Love or Carmelo Anthony.
The Rockets are also a team that has a chance for the Love deal, as they have players to trade and some money they can move, but Daryl Morey is going to have to get very creative. The team likely will have to move Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin and there is a chance that Parsons could be gone if he ends up a restricted free agent. The team will have to make a choice on his option and Yahoo Sports reports the team is planning on declining his option.
The Timberwolves missed the playoffs again this season and Love had one of the best years of his career as Minnesota flirted with the eighth spot in the west, averaging a double-double and factoring into the MVP voting. Love averaged over 25 points per game and 12 rebounds and he also was third in the NBA behind LeBron James and Kevin Durant for the Wolves in PER, according to ESPN.com and those stats are hard to ignore for the teams looking to trade for him.
