Woj confirms Love visit was for basketball reasons on Fox Sports

[ram]

What intrigues me is that these players say, "All I want to do is win" but then they want max contracts. 

It seems to me that the best way to win is for each star to take a little less money so the team can get better players.  I hate the Heat but their stars all took less money to help build a winning team.

Love and Rondo need to do the same, IMO.   

[manl_lui]

also, if Love comes here as a FA 2015 Summer, let Bradley walk (save us x amount of millions)

Rondo
Smart (If we use 6th pick)
Pierce
Love/Sully (if we do not trade Sully)
Kelly

I have not taken account of the bench nor the trade exception

[BleedGreen1989]

I'd much rather trade for Love than risk anything conflicting it over the next year or so.

[droopdog7]

No way you wait until next year.  Too many things could happen and, we may not even have the money to sign him outright. 

[D.o.s.]

I just want him in Boston right away.

First reason is that we take too much risk with waiting for him to hit FA. He could get traded somewhere else out of the blue, but also, if he is interested in coming to Boston in FA next summer, that doesn't mean he actually will come. If it's clear after the draft that in some crazy scenario he's staying in Minnesota until FA, many teams will try to clear cap space just for him and we will have even more competition than now.

And the second reason is: I just want to watch Boston win ASAP. This season sucked. This postseason sucks without Boston.

Second 'graph is funny when you consider that Love has never been on a winning team in his NBA career.

Gotta say, I still have mixed feelings on Love coming here, but I respect the guy undermining Minnesota's trade leverage by doing this so publicly.  A good price would go a long way towards making me more optimistic about him coming here.

Agreed.

[LooseCannon]

What intrigues me is that these players say, "All I want to do is win" but then they want max contracts. 

It seems to me that the best way to win is for each star to take a little less money so the team can get better players.  I hate the Heat but their stars all took less money to help build a winning team.

Love and Rondo need to do the same, IMO.

I think they will take less money if there is a plan in place to use the savings on specific players.  They don't want to take less money and find out that all they are doing is saving the owners from playing a little more luxury tax. 

[D.o.s.]

What intrigues me is that these players say, "All I want to do is win" but then they want max contracts. 

It seems to me that the best way to win is for each star to take a little less money so the team can get better players.  I hate the Heat but their stars all took less money to help build a winning team.

Love and Rondo need to do the same, IMO.

I think they will take less money if there is a plan in place to use the savings on specific players.  They don't want to take less money and find out that all they are doing is saving the owners from playing a little more luxury tax.

Known Locally As Tom Brady Syndrome.

[Fafnir]

Gotta say, I still have mixed feelings on Love coming here, but I respect the guy undermining Minnesota's trade leverage by doing this so publicly.  A good price would go a long way towards making me more optimistic about him coming here.

I can see it both ways, its kinda crappy to actively force your way out a year early.

But pretending you're considering staying when you know you're gone is probably worse.

[chambers]

Would there even be enough cap space to land Love in free agency?

Would Bradley be on the roster?
Would Jeff Green exercise his player option?
Are unguaranteed contracts like Bogans and Faverani still with the team, or have they been used to acquire a rotational player?
Has the Nets TE been used?
What about this year's MLE?
Cap hold for Rondo, who's expiring next year?
What about using Humphries' and Bayless' Bird Rights in sign and trades to acquire a rotational player/assets?
Do we have rookie deals for Sullinger and Olynyk, plus the incoming 2014 class, on the books?

If Ainge addresses all of these questions with a priority of maintaining enough cap space next year for a free agent, the Celtics are probably heading for another year in the tank. How might that affect Love's interest in signing as a free agent? How might that affect Rondo's interest in re-upping in Boston?

One of the supposed 'insiders' from RealGM seems to think that we have to get Love Via trade so he can opt in, that way we can afford Melo and look after Love later with Rondo.

Seems like a lot of Minny fans are wanting Olynyk over Sullinger which is surprising.
I think the boys in the front office have got an elaborate plan laid out and most of what you're mentioning has been covered under plan A and B.

Big question is what is the next speculative penny to drop if the Love saga actually eventuates.
I wonder if Danny is really going to have a swing for Melo too.

[Sizzlack]

The Woj has spoken.

This is happening, the only wrinkle left is what is it going to cost?

[WeMadeIt17]

Get him in asap. Makes Rondo happy. Also shows other players that Boston is a place to go if you want to win.

[kozlodoev]

I'm sure it was for basketball reasons. That doesn't mean Love is even close to coming to the Celtics. Has anyone here tried to purchase real estate in a multiple-bid situation?

[BballTim]

I'm sure it was for basketball reasons. That doesn't mean Love is even close to coming to the Celtics. Has anyone here tried to purchase real estate in a multiple-bid situation?

  It doesn't mean he's close to coming to Boston, but it's a good sign. I'd rather be a team where he checks out your city than one where he doesn't.

[gpap]

This is awesome news!!!!

[kozlodoev]

I'm sure it was for basketball reasons. That doesn't mean Love is even close to coming to the Celtics. Has anyone here tried to purchase real estate in a multiple-bid situation?

  It doesn't mean he's close to coming to Boston, but it's a good sign. I'd rather be a team where he checks out your city than one where he doesn't.

I'd rather be the city where he signs, and not the city which he uses to force the Timberwolves' management's hand.