Kevin Love would commit to Cavs

ESPN

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Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love is "intrigued" by the idea of being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers and would commit long term to the team, a source close to the situation told ESPN.com's Marc Stein.

The (Potential) Big Two
Kevin Love has expressed interest in joining LeBron James in Cleveland. That would be even more good news for Cavaliers fans, as James and Love were at the top of the league in several categories last season.

Category    James    Love
PER    2nd    3rd
PPG    3rd    4th
Win shares    2nd    3rd
-- ESPN Stats & Information
The Cavaliers opened trade talks by offering guard Dion Waiters, forward Anthony Bennett and a first-round pick to the Timberwolves in exchange for Love, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard. But the deal won't happen, sources said.

The Timberwolves want No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins in any deal for Love, but the Cavaliers have told the former Kansas star he will not be dealt, sources told Broussard. The Cavaliers might need to find a third team to get a Love deal done without losing Wiggins.

In his Cavaliers debut, Wiggins scored 18 points in a 70-68 Las Vegas Summer League win over the Milwaukee Bucks and the draft's No. 2 pick, Jabari Parker.

"It was a big day," Wiggins said. "We got the win, and we got LeBron back."

Love said during a June 11 appearance on ESPN's "SportsNation" that it "burns me and hurts my heart" that he hasn't made the playoffs in six seasons in the NBA.

But in Cleveland, Love would pair with young point guard Kyrie Irving and four-time MVP LeBron James, who told SI.com on Friday that he is returning to the Cavaliers.

In his last public comments on his future with the Timberwolves on June 11, Love stopped short of confirming that he's determined to opt out of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent in 2015.

"My agent is handling everything at this point. ... I'm hoping that everything works out for all parties involved," Love said.

The 25-year-old Love, a three-time All-Star and former rebounding champion, averaged 26.1 points and 12.5 rebounds last season.

The Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors discussed a trade involving Love up until the NBA draft June 26, but a deal didn't materialize.

After it initially appeared the Warriors were prepared to part with shooting guard Klay Thompson in order to land Love, sources told ESPN.com that Hall of Fame consultant Jerry West and new Warriors coach Steve Kerr voiced opposition to surrendering both Thompson and a future first-round pick to the Timberwolves, along with former All-Star forward David Lee, for Love and Wolves guard Kevin Martin.

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The stars have certainly aligned for Cleveland; 3 #1 picks in 4 years, ability to create both cap space and lure Lebron and possibly Kevin Love.




KJ

I think in many respects that this is a media-invented story -- somebody in the media speculated that LeBron going to Cleveland would make the Cavs a destination for Love, somebody else asked Love about it once LeBron actually went there, and of course he'd say something positive about that possibility.

But Love is not a free agent. Flip Saunders will get as much in return for Love as he can, and while Cleveland can offer Andrew Wiggins, the deal requires a lot more in salary, and there's not much else on Cleveland's roster that they're willing to part with and Minnesota would actually want? Anthony Bennett? He's more like a poison pill than an asset to the deal. Minnesota would do it if they throw in, say, Kyrie Irving.

Wiggins would be great, but Wiggins, Bennett, and Waiters doesn't sound nearly as good as Klay Thompson and David Lee, a deal that was seriously discussed, or even, say, Jeff Green, Brandon Bass, and a boatload of draft picks.

We'll see. I didn't believe LeBron going to Cleveland was possible until his camp started saying negative things about Riley a day before LeBron actually left. Maybe Love winds up there, too.

It's difficult not to treat this like a free agency decision, with Love deciding where to cast his lot. But Love doesn't hold all the cards here. The Timberwolves also have a bit of a say in what happens.

Sam