Love is in the Air in Chicago
Apr 8, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love (42) grabs the ball pre game at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Hey, anything is possible.
On Tuesday night, we saw a middle of the road team defeat the 1.9 percent odds and win the NBA Draft Lottery. Watching that makes me believe that anything is possible in the National Basketball Association, and it is.
Rumors have begun to surface concerning Kevin Love and his future in Minnesota. Approaching his final season in his contract with the Timberwolves, Love has expressed interest in leaving Minnesota as soon as possible, it is just a matter of whether the Timberwolves want to keep him or not. It is clear that Love’s interest in exercising an extension or a re-sign with the Wolves is as low as can be…he wants to get the hell out of there.
Milt Newton, general manager of the Minnesota Timberwolves, has stated that he prefers to keep Kevin rather than trade him. However, this would be a high-risk situation. Newton could take the 1 percent chance of Kevin Love re-signing after the 2015 season or he could face reality and deal out Love for a handsome return. There is no telling how much a team will offer for a player of Love’s caliber. If he was to be traded, Kevin Love would rank as the best player to be traded according to WARP calculations. ESPN writer, Kevin Pelton, said “Love is the best player on the trade block in four decades.” So the trade ceiling is high and the chances of benefiting for the Timberwolves are in their favor.
Kevin Love has so much to offer. He is one of the best scorers in the NBA. His offensive versatility is unmatched with power forwards. He can knock down a three, create his own shot, and post someone up in the paint. He is a top-notch rebounder, which makes him a dual threat. However, he is a liability on defense. Love is a weak rim protector and it looks like he gets lost when having to guard other big men in the paint. But his offensive greatness makes up for his lackluster defense.
The Chicago Bulls are the opposite. After what was supposed to be a season of tanking and lottery picks, the Bulls pulled through and secured a four seed in the playoffs, to eventually lose to the Washington Wizards. Tom Thibodeau’s team prides itself on defense. Joakim Noah, the current Defensive Player of the Year, anchors the defense while young talent like Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson follow along. The only down side to having 100 percent defensive minded players is the loss of focus on offense. The Bulls finally fell in the 1st round due to their lack of scoring and absence of a mass scorer, which disappeared with the injury to Derrick Rose and the trading of Luol Deng. No player on Chicago can shoot and make threes consistently, nor is there a big man who is a true offensive threat in the paint. Luckily, there is a player on the trading block who brings an all-offensive mindset to the table.
Kevin Love has been on the look out for a big market team ready to win, because apparently six playoff-less seasons has placed a chip on his shoulder. If he is looking for a large market with the ability to win instantly, look no further than Chicago. The Windy City is searching for a big name player who can bring offense in abundance. Carmelo Anthony has been the talk of the town lately, but why not Love? Love brings everything the Carmelo brings with more rebounding and size. And with Carlos Boozer most likely being amnestied, there is a vacancy open at power forward.
On Love’s wish list sits Golden State, Chicago, and Los Angeles, with New York hidden behind the scenes. However, no team holds the assets that Chicago does. In the upcoming draft, the Bulls hold the 16th and 19th overall picks. With a deep draft class like this one, those two picks can get you solid contributors, if not future All Stars. On the roster, players like Taj Gibson and Mike Dunleavy are valuable pieces that are on the block for trades. Teams like the Warriors and the Knicks would be nice fits for a player of Love’s caliber, however they have no draft pick to offer. And it does not seem like the Warriors would willingly let some of their young talent go. The Los Angeles Lakers are a big market team with a rich history, but, other than a 7th pick overall, they have a dull roster and no player is of value to be traded for Kevin Love.
It seems only logical that if Love were to be traded, Chicago would be the destination. It would be a perfect fit in the Windy City and Minnesota would benefit with the draft picks and young talent that the Bulls have to offer.