11:53pm: The Warriors are now willing to include Thompson in an offer for Love, reports Yannis Koutroupis of Basketball Insiders. With reports swirling that the Cavs will part with Wiggins, Golden State has given in on their refusal to include Thompson partly because they believe Love is willing to exercise his 2015/16 and in turn extend his stay in the Bay Area for at least two seasons. While no trade is imminent, Koutroupis still expects Harrison Barnes and David Lee to be part of the deal.
7:07pm: LeBron has reached out to Love to tell his former USA Basketball teammate that he’d like them to play together in Cleveland, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
5:52pm: Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio disputes the report that the Cavs have changed their stance on dealing Wiggins, writing that the sides are still not close to a deal for Love. Amico adds that the Cavs are still determined to keep the Kansas product for the foreseeable future and are weighing the caveats of having three max players against the benefits of having young, cheap talent like Wiggins, Bennett and Dion Waiters.
5:06pm: Warriors GM Bob Myers is the one among the team’s brass who’s most open to moving Thompson, while ownership, coach Steve Kerr and consultant Jerry West are resisting, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
4:59pm: There are no indications that the Warriors will up their bid for Love, a source tells Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group (Twitter link). Ostensibly, that means that they’re still unwilling to include Klay Thompson in such a deal.
3:28pm: The Wolves and Cavs haven’t engaged in conversations of any substance about Wiggins just yet, but things appear to be picking up on multiple fronts, Krawczynski tweets.
2:31pm: The Cavs are OK with giving up Andrew Wiggins in a trade for Kevin Love, having changed their stance against dealing this year’s No. 1 overall pick away, a league source tells Bob Finnan of The News-Herald. The Wolves have reportedly insisted that Wiggins be a part of any deal for the All-Star power forward. The Cavs apparently told Wiggins he wouldn’t be moved, but it seems any such promise might not hold water.
The latest proposal appears to involve Wiggins, Anthony Bennett and a first-round pick, and perhaps Brendan Haywood, too, Finnan writes. Minnesota reportedly quickly rebuffed an earlier package of Waiters, Bennett and a first-rounder.
LeBron James wants the Cavs to acquire Love, a source tells Finnan. The idea of playing with the four-time MVP continues to intrigue Love, who said before James signed with the Cavs that he’d be “100%” on board with staying long-term in Cleveland if James were there, too. Love can opt out of his contract and become a free agent next summer.
The Wolves maintain that they ultimately don’t have to trade Love, even as rival GMs perceive that stance as a bluff, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press. Some within the Wolves would prefer to see Love walk next summer, giving Minnesota cap flexibility, over a trade in which they would end up with mid-tier contracts in return, according to Steve Aschburner of NBA.com.
All of you saying the Timberwolves had no “leverage” and Flip Saunders had waited too long and should just trade Love for whatever he could get now? Better start preparing to eat crow.
If it weren’t for lebron they wouldn’t be getting a wiggins type package.
And your point is?
Without lebron the wolves have no leverage. Everything had to fall into place for Minnesota to get any kinda leverage
Um, yeah. But people have been saying the Wolves have no leverage over the past few days. Way after LeBron agreed to return to Cleveland. Obviously this is because of LeBron’s decision because trade talks quickly fell apart before the draft when Love said he was unwilling to sign a long-term deal in Cleveland at that time.
they still don’t have any leverage. That’s not why they might get Wiggins.
Actually, LeBron wanting Love gives them plenty of leverage.
Wow… just wait one season.. then get love for nothing..
LeBron wants him. He generally gets what he wants. Or he will probably just decide to leave Cleveland again after this season.
They won’t have cap space. It’s trade or watch him go somewhere else.
that would be a horrible deal for the Cavs
Long term, yes. But I think they win that deal in the short term.
I personally wouldnt trade Wiggins for Love. Then to add another young asset like Bennett, also on a rookie scale deal, plus a 1st round pick, plus the flexibility of Haywood’s contract…Thats ridiculous, especially for a guy that can walk in a year, and doesnt significantly change their aspirations for this year anyway
If they make the trade, it will be because Love has agreed to an extension. So no worries about him walking after a year. And it definitely changes their aspirations for this year. They can win a title this upcoming season with LeBron, Love and Irving. I don’t see how they can with what they have now.
Love will only verbally commit to an extension, he can’t actually sign one right now, or as soon as he’s traded, without sacrificing money. The team that gets him will acquire his Bird Rights so its pretty likely he stays in Cleveland, but there will be no trade contingent on extension.
Not true. There are limits, but you can do an extend and trade. It was done with KG in 2007 and with Carmelo in 2011. link to cbafaq.com…
who plays defense on that team? Who guards the PG spot? Who protects the rim?
Any trade is contingent on a commitment from Love to sign an extension. It seems pretty clear that LeBron James wants to Cavs to move into a “win now” mode. Wiggins may turn out to be a great player but he won’t help the Cavs nearly as much as Love. And, Love is just 25. He give the Cavs that stretch four and rebounder that is critical and give the Cave something that Wiggins can’t.
The Cavs knew when LeBron James decided to come home that they were going to have to put a championship caliber around him now, not in a few years. If the Cavs refuse the deal now, their chances of getting him get a lot smaller next year if he is a free agent.
I agree with all but the very last part of that. Love dramatically changes their outlook for this current season. I still don’t think that trade is worth it right now because I think you can get Love or another star within the next 11 months without sacrificing Wiggins, but lets not underrate Love.
I’m not underrating Love. I know how good of a player he is. I know he fits with LeBron James. I just dont think he fits on this particular Cavs team
Two #1 overall picks for Love plus another first-round pick for one year of control?!?! That’s just crazy. Go get DeMarcus Cousins, Al Horford, Al Jefferson, LaMarcus Aldridge. All will be half that price for a nearly as good of a player.
You’re overvaluing Bennett by simply referring to him as a “#1 overall pick”. He was far from that value last season, and despite the improvements he’s shown in the LVSL and the weight loss, he’s far from a sure thing. Also, that other first-round pick is probably going to be in the 27-30 range. Wiggins and pieces, is basically what the trade would be.
Bennet has very little value other than salary filler, he’s more a project than a prospect at this point. As good as Wiggins is going to be, Kevin Love is on his own planet talent wise with the likes of Lebron and Durant.
In what UNIVERSE is Kevin Love anywhere close to the all around players that LeBron and KD are?!
One based on statistics? Heck, look at PER. This year, it was Durant, Lebron, and Love. Then everybody else.
What those guys do on both sides of the ball cant be quantified by PER. Kevin Love isnt near the defender that either of those guys are
He’s not a bad defender either though. The position scarcity should bump up Love as well. There’s a lot more swing players capable of a high PER than there are big men.
what? You do know that PER is geared towards big men right?
No, it’s geared towards complete players. Saying it’s geared towards one position or another shows a total lack of understanding of the statistic.
For the record, the top ten in per include 4 pf/c’s, which is exactly what one would expect.
I still think the best thing the Cavs can do is wait. Take a look at how Wiggins Lebron and Kyrie mesh and see just how good Wiggins is. Love will still be available if they aren’t convinced Wiggins is the right fit.
Giving up Bennett, Wiggins, Haywood, and a first is overkill. Give it time and the closer it gets to next season the more leverage the Cavs will have.
The TWolves are in a good place imo. All they had to do is wait it out. Teams like the Warriors and Cavs are trying to give up as little as possible to acquire Love. That’s understandable. Why would they offer Klay Thompson or Wiggins right off the bat when maybe they could acquire Love without giving up these players? The TWolves have held their ground and it looks like it might pay off. The TWolves could wait until the season’s deadline if need be.
Poor Wiggins…First Shabazz now Wiggins, King A-Hole James’ ego does not sit well with rookies.
Wow FAIL. They have enough cap space to sign him out-right next season, and they have ZERO competition from any other team because Love wants to play with LeBron. The reason the Heat became a bad option was because they had no depth, so why trade away the depth and future depth (picks).
They do not have the cap space next summer to sign him
Between Bennett non-guaranteed, Haywood can waive or use in sign & trade next year and it goes from 10.5 to 15.5 space, and Felix .9 non guaranteed they’ll be about 20-25MM cap space in the projected 66.5 2015-16 cap.
A coinciding Lenny Wilkens and Lebron miniaturize the probability of error.
Cavs’ fans are in for great basketball.
I think Wiggins needs to be a part of Cleveland’s next contending team. Obviously, he still has a lot of room to grow, but I would bet on him having a better chance to reach his potential playing with LeBron James. He is an elite athlete, and the Cavs need to hold onto that for multiple reasons, including the fact that nobody on their roster besides LeBron James plays defense. I also dont think that a Cavs team with LeBron, Love, and Irving is a clear championship favorite, so the risk of losing Wiggins just doesnt seem worth taking, especially for a guy that can easily leave in a year
I’m not stupid. I know that Kevin Love is a very good player, but the Cavs need someone that can guard the PG spot right now, as well as some rim protection. Kevin Love doesnt provide either of those things. He definitely fits with LeBron James. I’m not questioning that. I just dont think he is a fit for this current Cavs team
I think this trade is a no brainer for the Cavs. Wiggins is a prospect much like in baseball you do not know how he will pan out but you have a proven and young asset in Love who put up crazy numbers in the tougher Western conference. The deal as everyone already mentioned will be based on him signing an extension and with Irving, Love, and James you have still a young core and you add veteran pieces around them. A team with these three should easily be able to get through the East and contend for a title. If you wait you may have the money but Love might not sign because he is interested in other teams as well.
Poor Carmelo Anthony. Maybe that vision Phil Jackson had for him involved signing Wiggins when he’s a free agent in six years?
still stuck on carmelo and the knicks lol
Hey man, you got years of this. This is his legacy now. Being a very rich loser.
If the Warriors’ GM is that dumb, he should be fired. I would especially not give up Thompson in a deal for Love
Agreed. Giving up one of the best SG’s and a 20-10 PF, plus Barnes? For a top PF. Oh, who *also* isn’t solid defensively. Maybe “we” forgot D Lee is a very good passer, and quality player. Even if he isn’t flashy in any way, and his defense is uhhhhh, lacking.
David Lee is under rated; thats true. Kevin Love is valuable because he is an elite rebounder and can shoot the 3, so he is a better floor spacer than Lee. Plus, David Lee is making a lot of money, so thats where he isnt that valuable of an asset (though he does come off the books heading into the summer of 2016, so at least there is that)
Yeah. If this was, like… I dunno… “Let’s upgrade Biedrens into Love” I’d be totally on board. But it isn’t. Why is Lee chopped liver? He’s $$$, but Love will be after one season anyways- (I realize) so would Klay for that matter.
well, Love is a better David Lee that also is an elite floor spacer. Thats really the difference, plus he is 5 years younger…This is a guard driven league. Klay Thompson will get paid, but I’d rather pay him if I was GS and hold onto Lee for the time being. If they can get rid of Bogut at some point before the summer of 2016, and Lee’s contract comes off the books, correct me if I’m wrong, but I think that would leave them max cap space to sign KD…In the meantime, as long as they stay healthy next year (They made a great move to bring in Shaun Livingston), and Steve Kerr doesnt totally kill what they’ve been able to do, they should have a shot at making a deep playoff run (though the competitiveness in the West makes it a lot harder)
It appears that the Cavs contacted Lebron and asked what he preferred.
But there has been a major problem with Cavs guards letting other teams penetrate since the last time Lebron was in Cleveland. Kyrie and Love don’t play a lick of defense. A quality coach with a disciplined group of players are going to exploit that. Start with Thibodeau and the Bulls as well as Pops and the Spurs.
If this trade goes through they’ll need to look at moving Waiters for a big defensive wing. Along with the Big 3, they now have Miller and Jones with possibly Ray Allen coming. They have plenty of offense. They need a lockdown defender to go with Lebron and Andy.
As I said, it makes so much more sense to keep the young, controllable talent on rookie scale contracts. Right now, that team needs someone to guard the PG spot and protect the rim. They have the assets to go get those things. That team is much more of a title contender than one where they make the deal for Love and have zero defense
The best thing that can happen for the Cavs is that the Warriors give up Thompson.
and vice versa for the Warriors lol
If Flip Saunders actually pulls off any of these moves for Kevin Love, Minnesota should hold a city wide event for him in his honor…I wouldnt trade either Wiggins nor Klay Thompson for him, and I especially wouldnt trade Thompson if I’m the Warriors. Now they need to trade Harrison Barnes AND Klay Thompson? Thats a joke
Dang. I hope the Dubs don’t trade Thompson, Lee, and Barnes for Love. That’s crazy talk. Lee is NOT horrible at all, he’s a dang 20-10 guy. Barnes wasn’t well utilized last season. Adding Thompson, TOO?
GSW are deep now (already). With coaching that emphasizes floor spacing (using Iguodala & Barnes better, interior offense run thru Bogut more, no more full “line changes” of 4-5 subs in at a time, please…). Curry/Livingston, Klay/B Rush, Iguodala/Barnes, Lee/Green, Bogut/Ezeli is pretty brilliantly deep team under the cap. Just wish we’d gotten Asik as a bench center.
Trading all the depth we just built (and didn’t have last season: Rush, Livingston, Ezeli), for a more productive four? Didn’t the Dubs just need better depth, maybe more progressive/attentive coaching, and staying in good health? I wish Love didn’t cost all this, he’d be fantastic. But nah.
last year, they needed a ball handler off the bench and to stay healthy, and they had a chance
You’re right for the wrong reasons. They shouldnt trade Thompson for Love, period. Even with Andre Igoudala on that team, Thompson still guarded the opponents best player regularly. He is a 6″6 guard with athleticism and length, and he obviously shoots the 3 at an elite level. He can even make plays by putting the ball on the floor. Maybe if GS had another 2 guard that can defend like he can, it would make more sense, but I couldnt trade him for Kevin Love. Then you need to add Harrison Barnes too? No way
All of these factors make too much sense. Klay’s defense (yup), shooting, growth, spacing. We trade for Love, Andre better be an All-Star or we’re toast. Iguodala is my fave Warrior, but he’s not even the best player on the floor.
Losing the depth we just gained, that would grate on me. Our defense would look offensive. Roster looks great n-o-w. I’d like better than Kuzmic or Nedo as 3rd options (respectively). But that’s about my only grievance. Seriously.
Agree, no way I’d trade Klay. And D Lee. And Barnes. For Durant, or *maybe* Aldridge? OKAY! That’s about it.
How about a 4 Team where the Love loser gets Rondo and would have a starting back court of PG’s.