Oh God! Will this Kevin Love rumors episode ever end? This is just as painful as the week that the NBA was held up waiting for Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James to make their free agent decisions where they were going to play. After it was widely reported this week by multiple media sources including Pippen Ain’t Easy that a deal was made in principle that a deal was done, issues have come up to derail everything.
If life in the NBA was simple.
Over the weekend we add another chapter to the Kevin Love rumors saga. ESPN reported that the NBA is monitoring this process closely in case an illegal agreement has been reached by the Timberwolves and the Cavaliers.
The NBA could veto this trade if it is determined that this trade violated league rules. As mentioned in this website, there are strict guidelines that these two teams had to abide by especially concerning with making deals while the 30 day period of Andrew Wiggins contract situation was in effect. The deal could be made behind closed doors but some dealings could not be made public.
Like Kevin Love’s extension.
Yahoo! Sports reported on Thursday that the Cavaliers have a deal in place to give Kevin Love a contract extension for $120 million over five years.
That’s the problem Pippen Peoples.
According to the bylaws, trade talks can happen and take place during the 30 days of Andrew Wiggins moratorium which started on July 24th when the Cavaliers signed him. NBA rules stipulate that draft picks cannot be traded within 30 days of their signing.
HOWEVER…
The Cleveland Cavaliers can’t offer Kevin Love a contract extension before the deal is official. If the league can prove that the Cavaliers and Love agreed to an extension before the trade was okayed by the NBA officials, goodbye trade and both teams involved can be punished.
Both teams have kept details on the low and have not verified the story on the Love extension one way or the other. In my opinion, don’t look for the NBA to take any action to veto this trade.
Now to keep everyone up to date on the flavor of the week concerning the trade. Understand that the 30 days aren’t up yet and things are subject to change.
Cleveland is sending Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett and a future protected first round draft pick to Minnesota for Kevin Love.
Then Minnesota will send Anthony Bennett in a package with other players to the Philadelphia 76ers to rescue Thaddeus Young. I bet Thaddeus Young is on his knees now praying that the NBA will leave these two teams alone. Young needs one more atrocious year in Philly like I need an afro pick.
It’s looking more and more like the NBA will not interfere and let this trade go through. You know what Pippen Peoples? It NEEDS to go through for a variety of reasons.
1) The NBA stopped sales of Andrew Wiggins rookie jerseys.
Not only that there have been whispers of offering refunds to people who have already bought one. Personally, I would keep the jersey. A few years down the line, we’re talking collector’s item baby. Basically that told the world that this deal was going down.
2) Andrew Wiggins can’t go back to the Cleveland Cavaliers at this point.
If you thought Kevin Love checked out of Minnesota since 2012, what do you think Andrew Wiggins is going to do in Cleveland. Even though Love had his bags packed since David Kahn didn’t sign him for a max extension, he still dropped 26 points and 12 rebounds a night. Andrew Wiggins at this point of his career can’t separate personal feelings and business yet. The Cavaliers basically told a 19-year-old kid that we don’t want you. Obviously, the Cavs would keep him if they could but this is an older man writing this. A 19-year-old is thinking totally different. If he stayed, all of this would have a negative effect.
Yahoo! Sports had a great piece with details that Wiggins already told his college coach, Bill Self that he wants to be traded. Basically be cause he believes it will be better for his long-term future.
It’s amazing how your attitude changes when someone don’t want you no more. I guess if Shakira turned me down to get married maybe she wouldn’t be as attractive to me either.
Here’s how Bill Self laid it out.
"“When this trade stuff started, I talked to Andrew and Andrew told me “I hope I get traded,” Self said. “And I’m like, ‘No you don’t’ And he said, “Coach I do. It’s better for me, knowing my personality and what I need to do, to go somewhere where I’m forced to be something as opposed to going in there where they’re going to be patient with me and I’m going to be a piece.”"
I like Andrew Wiggins and I believe that he will have a good career in the NBA. But if you really believe he would rather leave Cleveland where he can play with a great talent in LeBron James and be in winning situation as opposed to having two or three guys hanging on him as the number one option on a bad Minnesota team, you’ll believe Kanye West is buying Washington Wizards season tickets just to watch Kris Humphries play.
3) Do you really want Cleveland to have the No. 1 overall pick again? I mean since LeBron James left, they’ve had 45 of them. Let someone else have a chance. Philly perhaps?
This statement is for NBA commissioner Adam Silver. Mr. Silver please let this go. Let the trade go through. Kevin Love does not want to be in Minnesota and Andrew Wiggins now all of a sudden, doesn’t want to be in Cleveland. This is the perfect storm. Plus the NBA has bigger fish to fry. Like that Donald Sterling thing. Concentrate on that. Let’s get him out and the Clippers sold so Doc Rivers and Chris Paul can let this boycott thing go. That’s more important to the league than the logistics of this trade.
Mar 28, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love (42) runs on the court in the first half against the Los Angeles Lakers at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports