My Thoughts on Love

[A Friendly Flatulence [enjin:8907904]]

what a bunch of p*ssies looking to sell. We have a good roster, we need players that work well together, we need a coach that gives a damn, and we need to win a few more close games. Boom and we're in the playoffs... If we make the playoffs last season is anyone talking about this sh*t? Probably not unless we got swept. Kevin wants to WIN, so if we make it to the playoffs & continue to show improvement I believe he will stay.

[Coolbreeze44]

You make some good points, but the time to sell is before or during the draft. After that it doesn't make nearly as much sense IMO. And making the playoffs isn't where it's at for most of us. I don't want to be Atlanta or Toronto or Charlotte. Let's build a team that can stay a winner for several years and at least contend for a championship. We're not going to do that with this present cast.

[mrhockey89]

Hello my friends...now comes the most exciting time of the season, the trade market/lottery/draft!

I'd like to start by saying I think Rubio made some very interesting, pointed, and spot on comments about Love in his Spanish interview when he indicated Love is a great offensive go-to player, but not a leader.

Now to the trade... There's only one way we can trade Love for more than cents on the dollar, and that's to obtain a top pick in this draft that could get us a potential franchise superstar. Our second best option would be to go to Golden State, tell them we need Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes, and draft picks (and take Shved off our hands).

If we're forced with equal trade scenarios between a Western Conference team and Eastern, we have to trade him to the East. Don't let LA get a cheap upgrade to their roster. It'd hurt us twice as much to have him come back to bite us in that way.

I'm definitely on board with the "if we're going to trade Love it has to be before the draft" thought process. If it's the trade deadline, then I don't think there's a chance we get the same type of offer. At that point, barring something crazy, I'd put Love at the decision of walking from the team that drafted him and $30 million dollars extra and to become a hated man by all TWolves fans for the future.

If Love really wants to win, he should be trying to recruit Carmelo to Minnesota since we have way more pieces than the Knicks anyway. I believe Love is a star in this league, and a very good one, but not a superstar. Superstars draw people to a team, superstars turn a team around, and while Love helped turn this team around, we had a talented roster and we still didn't make the playoffs. A true superstar would will his team to the postseason in his prime...especially with a surrounding cast that he had. And lastly, a true superstar would lead his team in more ways than stat filling.

With that said, we have to realize Love's value. He's a 26 year old star that's coming off probably his best season as a pro. We will have a LOT of suitors, some of which are wanna-be suitors and others that have a legitimate chance of landing him.

First the wanna-be suitors...
1) Knicks - Melo will want Love, but Rambis and Love will not co-exist..but that doesn't matter. The Knicks have nothing the Wolves would want, and couldn't produce a 3 way trade that would do it either.
2) Houston- Attractive thought, but the team doesn't have the draft picks, nor the personnel pieces that the Wolves would want. Wolves have no need for Asik nor any reason to want Lin. Their only hope is a 3 way trade that would gut their roster. Even then I don't see them being able to get a 3rd team involved that would value those players enough, or the cap space to part with a pick or another player that the Wolves would accept in return.
3) Bulls- Just not seeing it. Bulls aren't trading Noah or D.Rose, don't have early picks, and not enough interesting pieces.. We don't want Taj Gibson or whoever they'll throw at us in a trade.
4) Suns- Not enough quality picks, nor players that would interest the Wolves. And I really don't see Love being happy there either.

Now for the contenders....
1) Golden State- David Lee is not going to interest the Wolves, or at least he shouldn't. He's not a positive contract. Klay Thompson, Barnes, and 3 first rounders would be what it would take....and that's probably not the Wolves best option anyway...although not a bad offer.
2) LA Lakers- This is only a legitimate trade partner if the Lakers win a lottery top 3 pick. If so, cap space along with 3 first round picks (all unprotected) could be a decent option. Perhaps obtain Gasol in the process. This could be interesting because in 2 years, the Lakers could have another top pick if Kobe gets injured or severely declines, which would mean more potential value in the draft picks, along with a possible star in this year's strong draft.
3) Celtics- Like the Lakers, this would be dependent on a top 3 pick for the Celtics. That pick, along with Sullinger, and a couple more firsts could do the trick.

This contenders list could definitely expand, but that's my not so brief thoughts at this time.

Rip away!

[maelstrom11 [enjin:6599701]]

Cool, we can compete with anyone if the players put in the effort and we get a few breaks. Rubios shot is coming around and if PEK can stay healthy we'll be ok. Need to draft a good young SG like Harris or Stauskas and get a back up PG. Dieng and Bazz will contribute this year and Bud will be back. We win a few of the close ones as well. This team can win 55 and be a top 4 seed. Dallas, SA, are aging and frankly once we get our horses going we're better than Houston and Golden State. I think we got to role the dice and give it 1 more big push with the team we got plus a SG and new Backup PG

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

The results of the lottery on Tuesday will significantly help clarify our options. Until then, it's a total crap shoot.

[Phenom]

The results of the lottery on Tuesday will significantly help clarify our options. Until then, it's a total crap shoot.

If by some miracle of God Shammgod the Wolves jump into the top 3, does Flip tell Love to suck it up and try to make it work or does he still trade him (for possibly another top 5 pick)?

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

"Hello my friends...now comes the most exciting time of the season, the trade market/lottery/draft!"

Clearly a Wolves fan. The most exciting time of the year is supposed to be the playoffs. We haven't seen them in a decade. Ouch.

[TeamRicky [enjin:6648771]]

My thoughts on Love are that if the losing was wearing on him, maybe he could have played some defense, or closed out some of those close games. He is clearly not a man of his word, or he wouldn't have made a decision already. It was nice of him to keep up the lie, while Flip signed on 30 mil in annual salaries last season to make a push for the PO's.

If I am Flip, I only trade him for a godfather offer. Anything less only continues the mediocrity of this team. Either we bottom out with picks for the future while dumping the longer salaried guys like Pek, or you entertain the fans next season and then start the rebuild with Love walking away for less money, less years, and less options.

oh please, Love was 4th in scoring 3 in rebounds, almost 5 assists a game. To put even a smidge of blame on him for not making the playoffs is stupid. Wolves wouldn't of scratched 20 wins this year without him

Sure you can blame Love some for another below .500 season, he doesn't play defense or display great leadership traits. Also, if we would be as bad as you say without Love, then he might cost us a top pick in a great draft.

[BizarroJerry [enjin:6592520]]

Hockey, where have you been? Watching the Wild? I guess I'll give Love a little credit for coming out and being clear about this well before the draft so we can organize and make the best trade available. But it would be fun watching Love get booed all year (ala Dwight Coward in Orlando).

But whether he's on the team or not next year, fans like me and many others here won't stick around for another rebuild. There is the example of Denver to look at, after they traded Carmelo, they got better. So I think next season's performance will be critical. If we miss the playoffs again next season, move the team to Seattle/Vegas/Iowa City/Omaha/Timbuktu

[AbeVigodaLive]

Hockey, where have you been? Watching the Wild? I guess I'll give Love a little credit for coming out and being clear about this well before the draft so we can organize and make the best trade available. But it would be fun watching Love get booed all year (ala Dwight Coward in Orlando).

But whether he's on the team or not next year, fans like me and many others here won't stick around for another rebuild. There is the example of Denver to look at, after they traded Carmelo, they got better. So I think next season's performance will be critical. If we miss the playoffs again next season, move the team to Seattle/Vegas/Iowa City/Omaha/Timbuktu

1. It's pretty hard to boo Kevin Love. While still a flawed player in some ways, there's no reason anybody should be upset that he wants out. There are MANY reasons why he should leave. I don't know of (m)any why he should stay.

2. I agree about another rebuild. I've been saying it all year. Attendance was down in the first year the team was supposed to compete. Another rebuild? Target Center is a ghost town.

3. I'm in the camp that Minnesota will be the next NBA team rumored to be relocating. But what about the $100M renovation of Target Center? Are there any stipulations in there preventing such a thing...