Report: Kevin Love in Boston This Weekend

A Love-ly weekend for Boston fans
May, 31, 2014

By Chris Forsberg | ESPNBoston.com

Kevin Love visited Boston this weekend, sending Celtics fans into delirium.

It’s one thing to be daydreaming about possible trade scenarios for a player like Love after a 57-loss season. It’s another for the 25-year-old All-Star to show up unannounced in late May and strut around Boylston St. while sipping an iced latte and mugging for pictures.

Why was Love here? A report from Dirty Water News suggested Love said he was here to "check out the city and see what it’s like." That will do little to quell rampant speculation that Love was here to get a feel for an unfamiliar city that could potentially be his next basketball home.

Love is expected to opt out of the final year of his current contract -- a four-year, $60.8 million extension signed in January 2012 -- which would make him an unrestricted free agent next summer. The Wolves risk losing him without compensation if they don’t move him this offseason (or before February’s trade deadline).

Enter Boston with its war chest of assets. The Celtics have a rare mix of available draft picks (as many as 10 first-rounders over the next five drafts), cheap young talent (recent top picks Kelly Olynyk and Jared Sullinger headline that list), and an ability to offer salary cap relief (Keith Bogans’ nonguaranteed $5.3 million salary next season). The Celtics might not be able to offer the most glitzy package (Cleveland wins that battle if it dangles this year’s No. 1 pick after vaulting in the lottery), but Boston certainly has the goods to make a play for any big-ticket player that becomes available.

Of course, this is the same route that Boston took to land their last Big Ticket, and that worked out pretty well. As part of the team’s last rebuild, Boston bundled two first-round draft picks, young talent (Al Jefferson), cap relief (Theo Ratliff’s expiring contract) and filler, then shipped it to Minnesota for another Kevin, who helped deliver Banner 17 during his first season in green.

The idea that Boston could pry another franchise resurrector from a Wolves team that hasn’t been to the playoffs in 10 years seemed almost preposterous. There’s no way history could repeat itself, right?

Celtics fans began to dream earlier this month when news first bubbled that Love planned to test free agency next summer. It still felt like a bit of a long shot, especially after the Celtics landed at No. 6 in the draft lottery last week. Many fans actually talked themselves out of the idea of adding Love when it was suggested the Celtics might have to give up as many as four first-round picks to entice Minnesota to consider a deal.

Then Love descended upon the Hub and Celtics fans kicked the “Come to Boston!” recruitment into overdrive. Random photos of Love around the city started popping up on Twitter on Saturday. Love wears a smile in almost every shot, seemingly unfazed by the locals desire for a snapshot.

While Love has admitted in the past to being unfamiliar with Boston as a city, he’s no stranger to the team’s history. As a high schooler, he preached an affinity for a VHS copy of “Winning Basketball” with Celtics legends Red Auerbach and Larry Bird. In a book sharing his name, Love was quoted as noting, “My dad [former NBA hoopster Stan Love] likes to say when other kids were watching Big Bird, I was watching Larry Bird.”

Some have suggested that Love, a native of Santa Monica who played collegiately at UCLA, only desires to play out west for a team like the Los Angeles Lakers. Might this trip to Boston have been aimed at examining what life might be like on the opposite coast?

If Love had a sense of humor, he’d visit some of the other potential bidders for his services next month. He could be spotted at the Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame or Wrigley Field or the Golden Gate Bridge, just to mess with fans from each city (and Minnesota’s front office).

Ultimately, Love’s fate rests in whether the Wolves are willing to move him and what they can fetch in return. The Celtics have the assets to make a bid for him, but how much are they willing to part with?

Love’s visit simply reaffirms how antsy Celtics fans are to accelerate through this rebuild. A player of his stature seemingly represents an immediate chance to restore the team to contender status. Boston fans tried to charm Love with their hospitality, all in hopes he’ll come back for a longer stay. Even if he doesn't, just remember that what Celtics fans really crave is a championship-caliber team, regardless of who helms that roster.
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BOSTON.COM




Jeff Pini




Boston.com Staff

As NBA draft lottery news has cooled and the attention now turns to what teams will do with their picks, the plot has thickened as to whether the Celtics will end up using their No. 6 overall selection, or whether it could be included in a trade for Minnesota Timberwolves star Kevin Love.

It’s being reported that Love is currently in the city of Boston for the weekend, as reported by DirtyWater News: Right off the plane he headed to The Greatest Bar for dinner up in the mezzanine. He sat in The Greatest Bar with his to buddies for a couple hours and then Rumor has it he headed over to Rumor for a night cap!

When asked why he was in town he responded ” I’m here to just check out the city and see what it’s like”… Tomorrow (actually today as it’s 2am) he will be walking around the city checking out all the sights . We hear he is headed to Del Frisco’s in this evening, clearly he has not been informed about Strega Waterfront yet – Lol. Sunday he will be going to the Red Sox game.

Someone has to get him to throw out the first pitch! Come on Jim Rooney (Baseball Tavern), John Higgins (Higs Tickets) or Billy Fairweather (The Greatest Bar)  Someone GET IT DONE!!!

Wow this is BIG NEWS for Boston Fans…

Baxter Holmes , the Globe’s Celtics beat writer, also speculated on Love’s visit to the city, while also adding this may not be the only stop on Love’s summer tour:

Globe NFL writer Ben Volin also tweeted that Love was seen with new Patriots corner Darrelle Revis:

It has been reported that Love, who is entering the final year of his contract with Minnesota, will leave the Timberwolves in free agency if he isn’t traded. The team has yet to make the playoffs in Love’s six NBA seasons in Minnesota.
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Kevin Love Visits Boston, Declines To Discuss Potential Connection To Celtics

May 31, 2014 11:28 PM EDT
 

Kevin Love is visiting Boston this weekend, hanging out at bars near TD Garden, fraternizing with New England Patriots players and walking the streets of the city.

Love took a picture with a Harvard graduate on Saturday that went viral on the Internet. He is also expected to attend the Red Sox game on Sunday.

Love, 25, has one more season left on his contract and his representatives have reportedly told the Minnesota Timberwolves their desire for a trade. The Boston Celtics are a believed suitor for Love.

When approached at a local hotel, Love said, “I’m sorry man, I can’t do nothing [in terms of talking], I can’t.”

Love averaged 26.1 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 4.4 assists this season. He said during NBA All-Star weekend that he was intrigued by Boston, impressed with Brad Stevens but was unfamiliar with the city.

“I’ve never really spent much time in Boston. I don’t know it too well,” Love said in February. “But I think as far as playing there, we love competing against those guys. I think they have a great coach and they have a ton of youngsters that are up-and-comers.

“Boston is a great city. I’m sure free agents would love to go there, especially with Stevens as a coach. He’s a guy that can win basketball games. He gets guys to play for him. They’ve been having good success there, even in his first year, and he has a lot of young players. The coach has a lot to do with it, but yeah, Boston is a great place.”

Via Gary Washburn/Boston Globe
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BLEACHER REPORT

Kevin Love is visiting Boston this weekend, according to multiple reports.

Obviously, by itself, a trip to New England doesn't mean much. He might simply be meeting with a great-aunt or dying to go on the Freedom Trail. But given that the Celtics have been mentioned in Love trade rumors, the timing of the mini-vacation is enough to prompt speculation.

At the All-Star break, the Timberwolves star told the Boston Globe he did not know much about Boston and had "never really spent much time" in the city. But Love was allegedly spotted Friday night at The Greatest Bar, just a short walk from the TD Garden, and intends to take in a Red Sox game Sunday.

Dirty Water News quoted Love as saying that he's "here to just check out the city and see what it’s like." The Boston Globe's Ben Volin added that Love hung out Friday with Patriots players, including Darrelle Revis.

And if for whatever reason you would prefer visual evidence, here's a picture of Love with a recent Harvard graduate:


If the Timberwolves do trade Love, who wants out according to just about every account, he will not get to pick where. But because of an opt-out in his contract that can make him a free agent next summer, he does hold trade leverage. CSNNE.com has suggested Love is amenable to staying in Boston long term because he likes the organization's history and believes the team has a winning culture, and Danny Ainge has indicated he would risk trading for the right star even without an agreement on a contract extension.

According to Yahoo! Sports, Love's representatives are pushing for a trade by early July. Assuming the Timberwolves do move him, a long list of clubs will be very interested. The Celtics have a treasure chest of trade assets, including nine first-round picks over the next five drafts, but would be fighting against a lot of other teams. The Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets and Chicago Bulls have all been reported as likely Love suitors.

Of course, Kevin Love being spotted in Boston this weekend does not mean he will one day play his home games in the city. His visit might have nothing to do with the Celtics whatsoever. But regardless, some fans are already getting excited about the possibilities.



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