What would you give for Kevin Love

[overseascardfan]

If your MIN management think about it like this:

You trade Love for pennies on the dollar, say LAL pick and a bunch of scrubs. Is that much better than letting him play out his option year? I think MIN would rather just let him walk than accept garbage.

Even if MIN finds a package of Dragic, Plumlee, Morris twins or picks enticing, Love would have to sign an extension prior to completion of the trade which is not a guarantee as he seems to have big markets on his mind. PHX can't make a trade unless this happens.

NY - If NY can keep Melo & get Love that is a playoff team in the East.

LAL - LA will have cap space in 2015 when Kobe's deal expires, so LeBron could be in play. LeBron & Love would be make LA a contender even if they brought in a bunch of roles players around them like LA did with Shaq & Kobe. So LA or NY might not be as bad as everyone seems to think. Plus he is in a big market so possibly he gets the best of both worlds.

 

[Cheesebeef]

If your MIN management think about it like this:

You trade Love for pennies on the dollar, say LAL pick and a bunch of scrubs. Is that much better than letting him play out his option year? I think MIN would rather just let him walk than accept garbage.

getting a lotto pick or nothing is a no-brainer for MIN, IMO.

Even if MIN finds a package of Dragic, Plumlee, Morris twins or picks enticing, Love would have to sign an extension prior to completion of the trade which is not a guarantee as he seems to have big markets on his mind. PHX can't make a trade unless this happens.

Plumlee and picks is the most I'd give up for Love. No way I throw Dragic into the mix. The Wolves are gonna be over a barrel and not many good teams (which is where Love wants to play) have the assets we do.

NY - If NY can keep Melo & get Love that is a playoff team in the East.

the knicks have zero assets to deal. i can't see anyway they give him up for the trash they have. in this scenario, they'd just let him walk because they literally can't get anything of value back.

LAL - LA will have cap space in 2015 when Kobe's deal expires, so LeBron could be in play. LeBron & Love would be make LA a contender even if they brought in a bunch of roles players around them like LA did with Shaq & Kobe. So LA or NY might not be as bad as everyone seems to think. Plus he is in a big market so possibly he gets the best of both worlds.

LA is definitely in play if Love pulls a Melo and says that's the only place he'll go. I don't know why he would as I think that team is headed for disaster for a long time, but if that's where he wants, he could probably make that happen with the Lakers having a lotto pick and likely giving up whatever picks Minny wants in the future (after they give us their own pick next season).

 

[SunsTzu]

he could probably make that happen with the Lakers having a lotto pick and likely giving up whatever picks Minny wants in the future (after they give us their own pick next season).

They also owe a future first to Orlando for the Dwight trade, it will be awhile before they can trade their first.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Plumlee and picks is the most I'd give up for Love. No way I throw Dragic into the mix. The Wolves are gonna be over a barrel and not many good teams (which is where Love wants to play) have the assets we do.

I agree although I'd probably go a bit further than Plumlee. If he'd sign an extension I'd give him the Morris twins and three first rounders (obviously not our pick this season as that's going to get us Wiggins or Parker). I'd say a Dragic for Love deal straight up would be in our favor but why do it? Add Love to Bledsoe and Dragic and we have the makings of something special. Add Love to just Bledsoe and we look more like the desert version of Minnesota. And more importantly, why would Love settle for Phoenix if it was neither a major media center nor a championship contender?

Steve

 

[Superbone]

(obviously not our pick this season as that's going to get us Wiggins or Parker)

Obviously.

We'd also have to unretire jersey number 42 and allow Love to wear it to get him here.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Obviously.

We'd also have to unretire jersey number 42 and allow Love to wear it to get him here.

I'm a Connie Hawkins fan and the NBA did not treat him right but it's hard to justify his number being retired by us. He really only had one great season in a Phoenix uniform followed by a couple of pretty good years and one fairly average season (IIRC). I can still remember bussing tables at Murphy's Coffee Cup on 5th Avenue (Scottsdale circa 1971) and listening to all the regulars complain about his inconsistent effort. It was the most common topic of discussion except for those Monday mornings when they wanted to dissect every decision Kush had made two days earlier. The Hawk was the greatest player to ever wear a Suns uniform when he wanted to be but he just went along for the ride far too often. He did carry us to a surprise playoff appearance but I'm not sure one postseason should warrant a retired number.

Steve

 

[Superbone]

I'm a Connie Hawkins fan and the NBA did not treat him right but it's hard to justify his number being retired by us. He really only had one great season in a Phoenix uniform followed by a couple of pretty good years and one fairly average season (IIRC). I can still remember bussing tables at Murphy's Coffee Cup on 5th Avenue (Scottsdale circa 1971) and listening to all the regulars complain about his inconsistent effort. It was the most common topic of discussion except for those Monday mornings when they wanted to dissect every decision Kush had made two days earlier. The Hawk was the greatest player to ever wear a Suns uniform when he wanted to be but he just went along for the ride far too often. He did carry us to a surprise playoff appearance but I'm not sure one postseason should warrant a retired number.

Steve

Did you read Foul!? Interesting stuff. I think Hawkins had already peaked before he finally made it to the Suns and the NBA.

For anybody that hasn't read it, it's one of the all-time great sports books:
http://www.amazon.com/Foul-The-Connie-Hawkins-Story/dp/0030860210

 

[AzStevenCal]

Did you read Foul!? Interesting stuff. I think Hawkins had already peaked before he finally made it to the Suns and the NBA.

No, I didn't but as I mentioned, he was a popular focus for local sports fans. And back then it seemed like every single adult male (Valley area) was a fan of both the Suns and ASU football. He was pretty spectacular his first year with us but his reputation suggested he was capable of so much more. He finished off his first season with probably the single greatest performance of any Phoenix player. I guess we all just expected to see more of those 45 point/20 rebound games. He was in his prime though so when it didn't happen I think most of us just blamed it on the fact he'd been pretty much beaten down by the system. It's hard to excel at something like basketball once the passion is gone.

Steve

 

[Superbone]

I enjoy reading your insight from the time, Steve.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I enjoy reading your insight from the time, Steve.

Yeah but I guess my "insight" might not be all that accurate. I just read a few of the book reviews from the Amazon link you provided and found out something I really don't remember hearing much about at the time. Apparently, some of his "lack of effort" might actually have been an athlete dealing with chronic knee problems. We didn't have the information available to us back then that we do now and let's face it, athletes didn't always get the attention and medical support they should have. Maybe I shouldn't be so quick to give his number away to Love?

Steve

 

[Superbone]

Yeah but I guess my "insight" might not be all that accurate. I just read a few of the book reviews from the Amazon link you provided and found out something I really don't remember hearing much about at the time. Apparently, some of his "lack of effort" might actually have been an athlete dealing with chronic knee problems. We didn't have the information available to us back then that we do now and let's face it, athletes didn't always get the attention and medical support they should have. Maybe I shouldn't be so quick to give his number away to Love?

Steve

Heh, I was just reading through the reviews as well. I got a chuckle out of the guy who said, "Time wounds all heels (and knees)."

 

[Phrazbit]

Len, Suns & Pacer picks this year, Suns first next year, Minnesota's first given back to them (although it wouldnt really matter, if they lose Love we'll never see that pick), Frye's expiring, Gerald Green if they want him.

Thats an offer that I dont think any of the other potential suitors could match and also does not cripple the Suns.

 

[SirStefan32]

Len, Suns & Pacer picks this year, Suns first next year, Minnesota's first given back to them (although it wouldnt really matter, if they lose Love we'll never see that pick), Frye's expiring, Gerald Green if they want him.

Thats an offer that I dont think any of the other potential suitors could match and also does not cripple the Suns.

They do not need Len (or Plumlee, for that matter.) They have Pekovic and Dieng. No need for another 5.

 

[elindholm]

You trade Love for pennies on the dollar, say LAL pick and a bunch of scrubs. Is that much better than letting him play out his option year? I think MIN would rather just let him walk than accept garbage.

Quite likely, especially since Love would be able to get more money in a sign-and-trade next summer, thus empowering the Wolves to ask for (slightly) more value if they hang onto him until then.

Even if MIN finds a package of Dragic, Plumlee, Morris twins or picks enticing,

I know that you are just presenting a hypothetical, but that would be a very steep price for Love, even if he did sign an extension right away. Dragic is the reigning MIP and the Plumlee/Morris group still has some "potential" value.

NY - If NY can keep Melo & get Love that is a playoff team in the East.

You mean, they could win at least 38 games? I agree.

 

[BC867]

I'm not sure one postseason should warrant a retired number.

And beyond his stats, the Hawk was the first superstar of a fledging expansion team in the desert.

Retiring his number was symbolic. It holds a place in our history.

 

[95pro]

Nba website says the wolves would be open to trading love

 

[SunsTzu]

Quite likely, especially since Love would be able to get more money in a sign-and-trade next summer, thus empowering the Wolves to ask for (slightly) more value if they hang onto him until then.

This is no longer the case with the current CBA. Players can only get the home team bonus if they stay with the team, not if it is part of a S&T.

 

[elindholm]

This is no longer the case with the current CBA. Players can only get the home team bonus if they stay with the team, not if it is part of a S&T.

Ah, thank you for the correction.

 

[slinslin]

If we jump into the top 3 I would not want to give up that pick for Love. I'd rather draft Wiggins or Parker.

 

[AzStevenCal]

And beyond his stats, the Hawk was the first superstar of a fledging expansion team in the desert.

Retiring his number was symbolic. It holds a place in our history.

True.

Steve

 

[AzStevenCal]

If we jump into the top 3 I would not want to give up that pick for Love. I'd rather draft Wiggins or Parker.

Although I agree with you, something like that is always a big risk. You're doing it solely on untapped potential as neither Wiggins or Parker are anywhere near the player Kevin Love is right now. I'd take the gamble because no matter how many good players you have, if you don't have one of the players fighting for MVP each year, you're a long shot to win it all. I don't see Love ever joining that group but both Parker and Wiggins have a chance at it.

Steve

 

[sunsfan88]

Sources say that the Phoenix Suns, armed with several draft assets to offer Minnesota, also have strong interest in trading for Love, but the 25-year-old's interest in joining the Suns is unclear.

Hmm...

 

[Superbone]

You don't trade Dragic to get Love. You just don't.

At the very least, these two have to be on the team together in the aftermath of a trade. These guys were meant to play together. A Dragic/Love pick and roll/pop would become legendary. It would be the Stockton/Malone of the new age.

 

[AzStevenCal]

You don't trade Dragic to get Love. You just don't.

At the very least, these two have to be on the team together in the aftermath of a trade. These guys were meant to play together. A Dragic/Love pick and roll/pop would become legendary. It would be the Stockton/Malone of the new age.

Okay, so here's how it goes down. The Coach, believing that with Goran already in hand he's just a Kevin Love away from winning it all, starts talking up the importance of making a deal with Minnesota. The GM, having overheard that a championship will follow if he can just acquire Kevin Love, sends Dragic and 5 first rounders to Minnesota. And there you have it - the prescription for a mediocre future but the outline for a pretty decent O. Henry story.

Steve

 

[desertdawg]

We can't give up our front court or our developers. We can drop dead weight, which is what we have been doing.