NBA Trade Rumors 2014: Minnesota Timberwolves Could Trade Kevin Love to Cleveland Cavaliers by Late August
Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor confirmed that Kevin Love could be traded on Aug. 23 or 24, and the All-Star power forward will likely be dealt to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In an interview with the Pioneer Press, Taylor said that Love, who turned down a contract extension from the Timberwolves, will most likely be traded because the 25-year-old made it clear that he wants out of Minnesota.
"I'm saying it's most likely because Kevin has made it pretty clear that that's what he wants to do," Taylor said.
Taylor did not mention the Cavaliers or any other team as their trade partner, but the date he mentioned created speculation that Cleveland will eventually acquire Love.
The Cavaliers are reportedly planning to give up Andrew Wiggins along with Anthony Bennett and a future first-round pick to the Timberwolves.
However, Cleveland cannot trade Wiggins until Aug. 23 after the 2014 first overall pick signed his rookie contract on July 24. NBA rules prohibit teams from trading rookies within 30 days after the official signing.
Taylor previously insisted that he expects Love to start the season with the Timberwolves but had a change of tone in his recent interview. He said that trading Love would give them a fresh approach under returning coach Flip Saunders since they are expected to acquire key players in the deal.
"I think when you move somebody like Kevin, who's been an all-star, that you've got to get a number of players on your team that have the potential of replacing him," Taylor said. "Flip (Saunders) has looked at this team and offensively, he's got a pretty good team. Defensively, it's got to be better, so I think that's where some of the areas will be replaced."
Previous reports indicated that the trade between the Cavaliers and the Timberwolves is inevitable. And while waiting for Wiggins to be available in trade talks, both teams are reportedly looking for a third team to sweeten the deal.
The Philadelphia 76ers were previously mentioned as the potential third team in the deal as reports indicated that the Timberwolves are interested in acquiring Thaddeus Young to fill in the gap Love will leave once a trade is finalized.
Love, who averaged 26.1 points and 12.5 rebounds last season, previously expressed interest in moving to Cleveland after LeBron James decided to return to the Cavaliers.
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