This Thread May Surprise You - But It's No Joke

[Coolbreeze44]

I've had a renaissance over the last few days. Let me explain, first some qualifications:

1) I am a big Kevin Love fan.
2) I love watching Love play.
3) I hate to see him go.

But when I read about the list of teams lining up to make a play for his services, and sense the pending bidding war that is about take place, I am actually looking forward to him moving on and a new chapter beginning for our team. I'm not only looking forward to it, I actually think this is the best thing for us.

Look, Love is a great player and it is very difficult to replace a guy like that or find another franchise level talent. But let's be honest, we haven't been able to make the playoffs with him, and I can't see us making them next year either. Further, there is no guarantee that we haven't already seen the best of Love in his career. He didn't get hurt last year, but I consider that an anomaly.

Is there really any current reason to be excited about our future? We lack assets that would allow us to add to our core. Some of our players are sure to improve, but some are sure to regress. We are flat out stuck in that NBA no man's zone. Good enough to be competitive, but not good enough to challenge. Bad enough to miss the postseason, but not bad enough to reap the benefits with the draft.

Realizing another rebuild is hard to stomach, do we really have a choice with Love's decision to walk? But consider what could happen here. There are many teams who are going to want to make a run at Love. I even read the Kings are interested even though they know he could just be a rental. This bidding war is going to flat out be awesome for us. It might be the biggest haul for a single player, even exceeding what Denver got for Melo. To me, amidst all this despair over Love leaving, this could truly be exciting and quite possibly a turning point for our organization. Flip needs to play his cards right obviously, but how hard can it be to sit back and take the best deal on the table? Hungry teams are going to try and outdo other hungry teams. The Wolves are in a nice spot, and remember we weren't going anywhere anyway. Deal Love before or during the draft for the best package, whatever that might be. Next season could be a lot of fun with something we don't currently have - hope.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

This is how I feel at this point. Actually, I started to feel this way when Cleveland won the No. 1 pick.

[mjs34]

I'd be on board with you guys if we had a better FO. I just have no confidence in Flip's ability to make a good trade, and then use those assets effectively. He traded Dwill for Luc!

I just pray Flip doesn't base our players value on what fools like Zgoda and Doogie think.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Kevin Love is a special player. Despite already possession unique elite skills, he continues to add new things to his repertoire...last year, distributing and some new post moves. It's scary to think that he hasn't reached his peak yet.

But having said that, I have to admit I am on board with what Cool led with in this thread. I frankly don't remember so many teams lining up to pursue Garnett when it became clear that we had to trade him, and the resulting return from the Celtics was substandard. But it seems like almost every team in the league is ignoring Love's defensive mediocrity and lining up to go after him. And if you can believe any of the offers that may happen, we should find ourselves in a much more powerful position with Love than we were with Garnett. A good return will mediate the pain of losing a top 5 player, to some extent.

To be honest, despite his awesome offensive numbers, I have often found Love a difficult guy to cheer for. I know that some of my prejudice is colored by his weird family...dad Stan and uncle Mike are both difficult guys to like. But I also have noted several things about Kevin that make me uncomfortable. I don't like his occasional lack of defensive effort, and sometimes his tendency to sacrifice team defensive goals in favor of padding his rebounding stats. His frequent whining about non-calls, in lieu of hustling back on defense, has always annoyed me. And his tendency to throw teammates under the bus (which, to his credit, I thought he controlled the last half of the season) doesn't help produce the cohesion a winning team needs. Kevin is by far our best player, but he has never been close to my favorite player.

I also question whether he is a winner. As Cool points out, we have not made the playoffs during Kevin's time here, and while much of that can be pinned on Kahn and injuries, Kevin has to take some responsibility too. There is an outside chance that we will be a better team after he leaves.

I am admittedly fickle when it comes to Kevin Love. If he called a press conference today and said "I don't know where the rumors about my leaving are coming from, but I want to win here. Yes, I want to win, and yes I can opt out at the end of the year. But my loyalty is to the Wolves, and if we show significant improvement this year, I will gladly sign an extension", I would hop back on the Love bandwagon. But this isn't going to happen. Kevin is going to do what is good for Kevin...not for the Wolves. And what is best for Kevin is to string us along until he can opt out so that the team he eventually goes to doesn't have to give up assets to bring Kevin in. Flip needs to recognize this, and find the best deal he can for Love at the optimal time. It's a delicate dance and it will be easy to second guess Flip after it plays out, but I think he is savvy enough to see what is going on and generate the best return he can for losing our superstar.

[thedoper]

I'd be on board with you guys if we had a better FO. I just have no confidence in Flip's ability to make a good trade, and then use those assets effectively. He traded Dwill for Luc!

I just pray Flip doesn't base our players value on what fools like Zgoda and Doogie think.

This made me laugh but in an uncomfortable, depressed kind of way.

[60WinTim]

LST - I'm with you. I want Love to stay as we continue putting this pieces around him. But with the way this franchise has screwed up in recent years, I don't blame him one bit for electing to move on. However, the prospects of what this team might look like after a Kevin Love trade are certainly intriguing!

[Hicks123 [enjin:6700838]]

I would be interested to know what Kevin really wants. Big City....dynamic market.....championship type team....all of the above? The reality is that virtually none of those scenarios exist for a player like Love. Most of what we hear through various media outlets probably has little in the way of fact, like the LA angle. Over the next couple years, LA may be one of the worst teams in the NBA....as they were this season. And even after Kobe is gone, I am just not sure Love is a #1 option for any team. And most other teams, with a couple exceptions, would have to gut their current team to field an offer strong enough for Wolves to jump (i.e. Boston). Seems like Love would be moving in the wrong direction. Then you have the deals that may work in terms of talent, but would be to teams that seemingly have no appeal to a guy like Love, at least based on what we hear (i.e. Cavs, Suns).

In the end, I believe we hold the cards with Kevin for one simple fact....money. He seems a guy that looks out for Kevin, and walking away from $20M+ in guarenteed money is easier said than done. Especially when his "ideal scenario" is likely to be fiction to begin with.

[thedoper]

I like the idea that we are actually in a good place right now. Our "bad" contracts (Pek, Martin, JJ) could all conceivably play to the value of their contracts or could be dealt in the right circumstances. Our star is upset, but when hasn't he been? We have reasonable assets, potential (Bazz and Dieng) and a decent pick in a talented draft. This offseason is Flip's defining moment. There are lots of ways to go, but certainly I think there is reason for guarded optimism. That is if Flip doesn't kick us directly in the nuts. If we make the wrong move, I do fear there are going to be greater ramifications to the franchise. For instance, no way does it make money if we trade Love and take a step back. I believe Taylor will sell if there is an extended rebuild and I do really believe that the franchise would be a candidate for relocation. On the other hand I could see a situation where we retool and improve after moving some of our assets (even Love included) or we just roll for a season and let the Love situation play itself out.

That being said my preference if we just ignore the Love situation, build through the draft and MLE and play basketball for another year. I think this idea that we have to trade him now may not really matter. If we deal Love, even if we get a good deal we are a team admitting that we can't keep our star. It will only seal our long term fate as a farm team for the "real" teams. My selfish desire for competitive Minnesota basketball is greater at this point then my desire to see a rebuild, assess our potential and then in 5 years see another star leave again when they become too good for Minnesota. Ultimately I say we keep him and let him make the decision to opt out and sign elsewhere. If I were Flip I would go sit down with Love and say, "It's one year, play your ass off, keep your mouth shut, and if/when you leave we will only have great things to say about you and your professionalism" With him gone we're looking at a rebuild either way, what difference does a year make unless you think that Embid, Wiggins or Parker is a once in a generation player. And there is no guarantee that we can even get one of those guys in a deal. Fuck making Golden State or Chicago contenders as far as I am concerned. He's not going to Philly, Cleveland or Milwaukee. Let him man up and play out the contract he signed instead of filling the role of the worried, desperate franchise the national media wants us to be.

[Coolbreeze44]

I would be interested to know what Kevin really wants. Big City....dynamic market.....championship type team....all of the above? The reality is that virtually none of those scenarios exist for a player like Love. Most of what we hear through various media outlets probably has little in the way of fact, like the LA angle. Over the next couple years, LA may be one of the worst teams in the NBA....as they were this season. And even after Kobe is gone, I am just not sure Love is a #1 option for any team. And most other teams, with a couple exceptions, would have to gut their current team to field an offer strong enough for Wolves to jump (i.e. Boston). Seems like Love would be moving in the wrong direction. Then you have the deals that may work in terms of talent, but would be to teams that seemingly have no appeal to a guy like Love, at least based on what we hear (i.e. Cavs, Suns).

In the end, I believe we hold the cards with Kevin for one simple fact....money. He seems a guy that looks out for Kevin, and walking away from $20M+ in guarenteed money is easier said than done. Especially when his "ideal scenario" is likely to be fiction to begin with.

The thing is, it doesn't matter what is best for Love as far as we're concerned. All we need to care about is who gives us the best deal. That organization and Love can solve their problems in whatever way they please once he's out of here. Just make the best deal for the Timberwolves.

[Coolbreeze44]

I like the idea that we are actually in a good place right now. Our "bad" contracts (Pek, Martin, JJ) could all conceivably play to the value of their contracts or could be dealt in the right circumstances. Our star is upset, but when hasn't he been? We have reasonable assets, potential (Bazz and Dieng) and a decent pick in a talented draft. This offseason is Flip's defining moment. There are lots of ways to go, but certainly I think there is reason for guarded optimism. That is if Flip doesn't kick us directly in the nuts. If we make the wrong move, I do fear there are going to be greater ramifications to the franchise. For instance, no way does it make money if we trade Love and take a step back. I believe Taylor will sell if there is an extended rebuild and I do really believe that the franchise would be a candidate for relocation. On the other hand I could see a situation where we retool and improve after moving some of our assets (even Love included) or we just roll for a season and let the Love situation play itself out.

That being said my preference if we just ignore the Love situation, build through the draft and MLE and play basketball for another year. I think this idea that we have to trade him now may not really matter. If we deal Love,
even if we get a good deal we are a team admitting that we can't keep our star. It will only seal our long term fate as a farm team for the "real" teams. My selfish desire for competitive Minnesota basketball is greater at this point then my desire to see a rebuild, assess our potential and then in 5 years see another star leave again when they become too good for Minnesota. Ultimately I say we keep him and let him make the decision to opt out and sign elsewhere. If I were Flip I would go sit down with Love and say, "It's one year, play your ass off, keep your mouth shut, and if/when you leave we will only have great things to say about you and your professionalism" With him gone we're looking at a rebuild either way, what difference does a year make unless you think that Embid, Wiggins or Parker is a once in a generation player. And there is no guarantee that we can even get one of those guys in a deal. Fuck making Golden State or Chicago contenders as far as I am concerned. He's not going to Philly, Cleveland or Milwaukee. Let him man up and play out the contract he signed instead of filling the role of the worried, desperate franchise the national media wants us to be.

I understand what you're saying here Doper, I really do. And part of me feels exactly the same way you do. But the flaw in your stance is that we have a window right now to fully maximize the return on Love. If he walks for nothing after next year we are completely screwed. We messed up the Love thing a long time ago. I think it's better to move forward with a nice bounty and the unique opportunity it presents right now. It's not the perfect scenario, but it would give us hope both in the near and distant future.