Windhorst & Lowe on Kevin Love (Reportedly May Leave Cleveland)

[Eddie20]

http://grantland.com/podcasts/

Starts at around the 41 minute mark.

Windhorst: Every executive, every agent, every quasi-insider I talk to say this guy (Love) is out of there.

Lowe: I hear the same thing from everybody. From everyone that is two, three, or four steps removed.


Windhorst says he hasn't seen him at the facility and has only attended one home game.

[MBunge]

It makes sense.  Love has never seemed like the sort of guy who would be happy playing third fiddle to LeBron and Kyrie.  Now he can opt out, pick the team he wants and sign a max deal with another opt out after two years where he can sign a new max deal under the higher salary cap.

Mike

[LarBrd33]

You left out the part where all those same people follow it up by saying Love is a lock to end up a Laker.

"They don't just say he's out of there... they say "He's going to the Lakers""

THey say it has as much to do with the fear of the Lakers as it does with Kevin Love.

[Who]

Good for K-Love. Leaving is a brave decision. Especially given the lack of sure-fire teams out there in FA and the gamble he is going to have to take on a bottom-feeder to mediocre team.

I think it is the right decision. The way Cleveland treated him this year (as if he was Ryan Anderson) was appalling. They had the 2nd most skilled offensive big man in the league and made him into a spot-up shooter 80-90% of the time he was on the floor.

[chambers]

Perhaps Woj wasn't just stirring the pot in late April when he suggested the C's and Love had some kind of mutual agreement.

He's got to be looking at the Western Conference at the moment and wondering how brutal it's going to be out there for at least the next 5 years.

Our appeal is our coach, our cap situation, our GM, our sports city and basketball history. What's not often mentioned is how much easier the East must look to free agents that want deep playoff runs.
Love would have an offense revolving around him, and being 'the man' here would be an appealing scenario.

With Stevens coaching, I wonder if DeAndre Jordan would look at us with Love coming here.

Let's fantasize: 
1) trade Bradley+ #28+Dallas 2016 pick+ Wallace to Bucks for Khris Middleton  (Jason Kidd loves his D)
2)re-sign Crowder to reasonable deal
3) sign Kevin Love
4) sign DeAndre Jordan

Smart
Middleton
Crowder
Love
Jordan

IT
Turner
Olynyk or Sully
Zeller
Young
Rookie
Rookie

Tough defensive team with solid three point shooting and bench.
Still missing something but we've got best defensive anchor in NBA and top 10 NBA player in love and potential top 25 player in Middleton so we're much closer to where we wanna be. If Middleton, Smart and Crowder all improve that's a very nasty team.

I think we've got a better shot at Love than most people think.
The Lakers getting the # 2 pick didn't help us but the West is just so tough that I think it would really appeal to guys like DJ and Love as far as getting bigger roles and only having to deal with Lebron as the mega hurdle.
Whereas the West is Curry, CP3/Griffin, Harden/Howard, Gasol/Zeebo, Spurs.

On an interesting side note, did anyone see that Mike Conley is expected to hit free agency?

[tazzmaniac]

You left out the part where all those same people follow it up by saying Love is a lock to end up a Laker.

"They don't just say he's out of there... they say "He's going to the Lakers""

THey say it has as much to do with the fear of the Lakers as it does with Kevin Love.

I'd be fine with Love opting out and going to the Lakers.  It would use up most of their available cap space so they wouldn't be competition for other free agents. 

[Roy H.]

I still don't buy it.

[SHAQATTACK]

You left out the part where all those same people follow it up by saying Love is a lock to end up a Laker.

"They don't just say he's out of there... they say "He's going to the Lakers""

THey say it has as much to do with the fear of the Lakers as it does with Kevin Love.

I'd be fine with Love opting out and going to the Lakers.  It would use up most of their available cap space so they wouldn't be competition for other free agents.

This was my exact thinking as well.   

I'm not sure he is all that he is cracked up to be anymore.  ......

I see a dude that has a bad back coming down the pike .....surgery sooner than later .   So be signs a Max contract and then goes under the knife.

Better the lakers than celtics

[tazzmaniac]

Perhaps Woj wasn't just stirring the pot in late April when he suggested the C's and Love had some kind of mutual agreement.

He's got to be looking at the Western Conference at the moment and wondering how brutal it's going to be out there for at least the next 5 years.

Our appeal is our coach, our cap situation, our GM, our sports city and basketball history. What's not often mentioned is how much easier the East must look to free agents that want deep playoff runs.
Love would have an offense revolving around him, and being 'the man' here would be an appealing scenario.

With Stevens coaching, I wonder if DeAndre Jordan would look at us with Love coming here.

Let's fantasize: 
1) trade Bradley+ #28+Dallas 2016 pick+ Wallace to Bucks for Khris Middleton  (Jason Kidd loves his D)
2)re-sign Crowder to reasonable deal
3) sign Kevin Love
4) sign DeAndre Jordan

Smart
Middleton
Crowder
Love
Jordan

IT
Turner
Olynyk or Sully
Zeller
Young
Rookie
Rookie

Tough defensive team with solid three point shooting and bench.
Still missing something but we've got best defensive anchor in NBA and top 10 NBA player in love and potential top 25 player in Middleton so we're much closer to where we wanna be. If Middleton, Smart and Crowder all improve that's a very nasty team.

I think we've got a better shot at Love than most people think.
The Lakers getting the # 2 pick didn't help us but the West is just so tough that I think it would really appeal to guys like DJ and Love as far as getting bigger roles and only having to deal with Lebron as the mega hurdle.
Whereas the West is Curry, CP3/Griffin, Harden/Howard, Gasol/Zeebo, Spurs.

On an interesting side note, did anyone see that Mike Conley is expected to hit free agency?

We don't have enough cap space to get Middleton, Love and Jordan.  Those three alone will cost around $55mil. 

[Rondo9]

http://grantland.com/podcasts/

Starts at around the 41 minute mark.

Windhorst: Every executive, every agent, every quasi-insider I talk to say this guy (Love) is out of there.

Lowe: I hear the same thing from everybody. From everyone that is two, three, or four steps removed.


Windhorst says he hasn't seen him at the facility and has only attended one home game.

Do you think that the Celtics have a chance to get him or will he leave to the Lakers?

[tazzmaniac]

I still don't buy it.

Why not?  He can opt out and get a 2 year Max deal with an option after 1 year.  I really can't see him staying with the Cavs to be the 3rd option on offense. 

[zubi.anaba]

Just commenting so that I can keep this thread on record!! When Love eventually decides to stay with a possible 3-4yr dynasty (like any logical player would do given the circumstances) will be fun bringing up quotes from these threads

[GC003332]

There is sacrifice and then there is sacrifice, the guy is 26 years old and was reduced to a 3rd sometimes 4th wheel in their offence.Total waste of his talents as a basketball player,people go on about winning a ring like it is the be all and end all, maximise your own abilities first and foremost.
Go ring chasing the last few years of your career if need be.
People say the guy never won anything in his career before, the guy was part of a Wolves squad that almost posted a winning record in the almighty Western Conference, so he has been part of 'winning'.

[zubi.anaba]

There is sacrifice and then there is sacrifice, the guy is 26 years old and was reduced to a 3rd sometimes 4th wheel in their offence.Total waste of his talents as a basketball player,people go on about winning a ring like it is the be all and end all, maximise your own abilities first and foremost.
Go ring chasing the last few years of your career if need be.
People say the guy never won anything in his career before, the guy was part of a Wolves squad that almost posted a winning record in the almighty Western Conference, so he has been part of 'winning'.

 
SO basketball is no more about winning rings. Its all about maximizing your stats now huh?! Plus this is coming from a Cs fan huh?

[Rondo9]

There is sacrifice and then there is sacrifice, the guy is 26 years old and was reduced to a 3rd sometimes 4th wheel in their offence.Total waste of his talents as a basketball player,people go on about winning a ring like it is the be all and end all, maximise your own abilities first and foremost.
Go ring chasing the last few years of your career if need be.
People say the guy never won anything in his career before, the guy was part of a Wolves squad that almost posted a winning record in the almighty Western Conference, so he has been part of 'winning'.

 
SO basketball is no more about winning rings. Its all about maximizing your stats now huh?! Plus this is coming from a Cs fan huh?

To some players they want to have both. To maximize their talents while wining rings.