Steve Bullpett : Ainge trying to get a 3rd team involved in the Love talks

[rondohondo]

With the NBA draft bearing down on the process, the Celtics are knocking on a door that may be locked to not only them but the rest of the league, as well.

There remains some possibility that Minnesota will trade Kevin Love by tomorrow night, but involved sources told the Herald that Timberwolves president of basketball operations, coach and part owner Flip Saunders is growing more entrenched that he should let things play out with his All-Star forward.

Love told the club he plans to exercise his opt-out and become an unrestricted free agent next summer, and, according to a source, he repeated that statement when told Saunders might be taking over the coaching reins.

But Saunders is now ready to roll the dice and see if Love will change his mind, rather than making a trade he does not believe meets his standard. His chief aim continues to be keeping the Timberwolves from taking a step backward. He is said to be set on avoiding a larger rebuilding process.

Clubs told the Herald that Saunders is looking for people who can contribute right away, and that has put the Celtics in a scrambling position. It?s been reported here that Danny Ainge offered the sixth and 17th overall picks, along with Kelly Olynyk and one of their own future first-round picks. They are also willing to discuss packages that include first-rounders the C?s are owed from Brooklyn in 2016 and 2018.

But one problem from the Timberwolves? side is the additional contracts they would take back to make the salary numbers on a deal conform to the collective bargaining rules.

The best the Celtics could offer by themselves is a collection that would give Minnesota a jump start on reconstruction. But in that such is not its desire, Ainge has, according to league sources, been trying to learn which players would appeal to Saunders with the idea of acquiring them and rerouting them to the Wolves for Love.

However, word is Minnesota does not believe the Celtics can get what the Wolves want. And what Saunders wants is to make an upward move next season by adding pieces to last year?s core.

http://bostonherald.com/sports/celtics_nba/boston_celtics/2014/06/not_a_whole_lotta_love_for_celtics

Who would they want ?

[MBunge]

If you take Love off the T-Wolves, no one short of LeBron or Durant is going to improve them going forward so I don't think there are any players Ainge could swing to make a difference.  If he could get another team willing to take on Kevin Martin, that might help.

I can't believe an NBA veteran like Flip is being this stupid.  Barring multiple playoff-caliber teams suffering season-ending injuries to one or more of their starters, there's nothing Minny's going to do that will make them any better than the 7th or 8th seed out West.  That's not going to change Love's mind about staying and the more they drag this out, the less they're going to get for him.

Maybe he's just waiting to take advantage of some team, like Houston or Chicago, who get desperate when they miss out on Melo or LeBron.

Mike

[cman88]

If you take Love off the T-Wolves, no one short of LeBron or Durant is going to improve them going forward so I don't think there are any players Ainge could swing to make a difference.  If he could get another team willing to take on Kevin Martin, that might help.

I can't believe an NBA veteran like Flip is being this stupid.  Barring multiple playoff-caliber teams suffering season-ending injuries to one or more of their starters, there's nothing Minny's going to do that will make them any better than the 7th or 8th seed out West.  That's not going to change Love's mind about staying and the more they drag this out, the less they're going to get for him.

Maybe he's just waiting to take advantage of some team, like Houston or Chicago, who get desperate when they miss out on Melo or LeBron.

Mike

even then, what can Houston or Chicago offer them other than role players? unless Flips plan is to be the 10th, 11th best team in the west with a team full of role players and no future 

Flip isnt getting an all-star in return for Love that is going to make their team a playoff team

or, its just more posturing by Flip...

[clover]

Afflalo seems available, if Cleveland is looking to keep Irving and move Waiters.

[jay]

We would have to trade Olynyk, Bass, 6th pick, filler, and 2015 Clippers pick to the Warriors for Thompson and Lee. 

Then reroute Lee and Thompson, along with 17th pick, Sullinger, and Green for Love/Martin.  That would give the Wolves Rubio, Thompson, Green, Lee, Pekovic. 

Would Golden State trade Thompson for Olynyk and basically Marcus Smart?  Would they let Lee go for salary cap relief and a future pick?

Danny has the future Nets picks to try and sweeten the pot, but that is really everything he has to offer.

Leaves us with Love, Rondo, Wallace, Bradley, Martin, and hopefully Asik. 

[jay]

We would have to trade Olynyk, Bass, 6th pick, filler, and 2015 Clippers pick to the Warriors for Thompson and Lee. 

Then reroute Lee and Thompson, along with 17th pick, Sullinger, and Green for Love/Martin.  That would give the Wolves Rubio, Thompson, Green, Lee, Pekovic. 

Would Golden State trade Thompson for Olynyk and basically Marcus Smart?  Would they let Lee go for salary cap relief and a future pick?

Danny has the future Nets picks to try and sweeten the pot, but that is really everything he has to offer.

Leaves us with Love, Rondo, Wallace, Bradley, Martin, and hopefully Asik.

It works well for us, just need Danny to work his magic.  Warriors will be the key. 

http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=jwawlt3
http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=jwawlt3

[RJ87]

Afflalo seems available, if Cleveland is looking to keep Irving and move Waiters.

Yeah, I was going tp suggest Afflalo. No clue what Orlando would be looking for in return for him, but maybe of we reroute #17 + the righta to Philly's protected #1, Bass, and Anthony to them, we could send Afflalo + KO + #6 + a future first + Bogans in exchange for Kevin Love and Martin.

[GreenWarrior]

one key reason why i'm seeing all this talk as posturing. specifically when the T-Wolves/Flip are saying "they want to keep Love for this yr. and try to make the playoffs and maybe convince him to stay if they can win".

if this were true, how come we are not hearing one iota of a rumor of them trying to put at least one better player around him for next yr.? wouldn't this convince Love they're committed to winning? why even think you can win in the west going into next season with virtually the same roster? maybe they are and we don't know about it, but  does anyone actually believe that?   

[RJ87]

one key reason why i'm seeing all this talk as posturing. specifically when the T-Wolves/Flip saying "they want to keep Love for this yr. and try to make the playoffs and maybe convince him to stay if they can win".

if this were true, how come we are not hearing one iota of a rumor of them trying to put at least one better player around him for next yr.? wouldn't this convince Love they're committed to winning? why even think you can win in the west going into next season with virtually the same roster? maybe they are and we don't know about it, but  does anyone actually believe that?

That's actually an intriguing point. You'd think there'd be talk of them trying to move #13 for veteran help but there's been nothing.

[knuckleballer]

Saunders is the GM and coach.  That's a really stupid combination of roles for an NBA team.  You don't have to look past Rick Pitino to understand that.

[LilRip]

one key reason why i'm seeing all this talk as posturing. specifically when the T-Wolves/Flip are saying "they want to keep Love for this yr. and try to make the playoffs and maybe convince him to stay if they can win".

if this were true, how come we are not hearing one iota of a rumor of them trying to put at least one better player around him for next yr.? wouldn't this convince Love they're committed to winning? why even think you can win in the west going into next season with virtually the same roster? maybe they are and we don't know about it, but  does anyone actually believe that?

Then boom. A "Kendrick Perkins for Jeff green"-like deal happens.

Just because there aren't rumors doesn't mean there's nothing there. Part of me even believes that the noisiest rumors are usually the farthest from the truth. Kinda puts a dampen on all these Love-to-Boston talks.

[heyvik]

Why would GS agree to a trade that nets the Celtics KLove??? We're in competition for KLove, why would they do that?

We would have to trade Olynyk, Bass, 6th pick, filler, and 2015 Clippers pick to the Warriors for Thompson and Lee. 

Then reroute Lee and Thompson, along with 17th pick, Sullinger, and Green for Love/Martin.  That would give the Wolves Rubio, Thompson, Green, Lee, Pekovic. 

Would Golden State trade Thompson for Olynyk and basically Marcus Smart?  Would they let Lee go for salary cap relief and a future pick?

Danny has the future Nets picks to try and sweeten the pot, but that is really everything he has to offer.

Leaves us with Love, Rondo, Wallace, Bradley, Martin, and hopefully Asik.

[GreenWarrior]

one key reason why i'm seeing all this talk as posturing. specifically when the T-Wolves/Flip are saying "they want to keep Love for this yr. and try to make the playoffs and maybe convince him to stay if they can win".

if this were true, how come we are not hearing one iota of a rumor of them trying to put at least one better player around him for next yr.? wouldn't this convince Love they're committed to winning? why even think you can win in the west going into next season with virtually the same roster? maybe they are and we don't know about it, but  does anyone actually believe that?

Then boom. A "Kendrick Perkins for Jeff green"-like deal happens.

Just because there aren't rumors doesn't mean there's nothing there. Part of me even believes that the noisiest rumors are usually the farthest from the truth. Kinda puts a dampen on all these Love-to-Boston talks.

no doubt. but when Perk was traded we all heard/knew we were looking to do something that yr.

[saltlover]

If you take Love off the T-Wolves, no one short of LeBron or Durant is going to improve them going forward so I don't think there are any players Ainge could swing to make a difference.  If he could get another team willing to take on Kevin Martin, that might help.

I can't believe an NBA veteran like Flip is being this stupid.  Barring multiple playoff-caliber teams suffering season-ending injuries to one or more of their starters, there's nothing Minny's going to do that will make them any better than the 7th or 8th seed out West.  That's not going to change Love's mind about staying and the more they drag this out, the less they're going to get for him.

Maybe he's just waiting to take advantage of some team, like Houston or Chicago, who get desperate when they miss out on Melo or LeBron.

Mike

While it's true that Minny won't improve minus Love, they're sort of stuck.  They have four more years of Pekovic.  They want to extend Rubio.  It's not like they can clear house Philly style -- they've got a lot of dollars committed for a couple of years, and it's been practically a decade since they made the playoffs.  We laugh about striving to be the 8th seed here, but reaching that achievement would be the best Minnesota has done in a long time.  They positioned themselves to start trying to make the playoffs, really as early as last year, and there would be a sizable cost in diverting from that.  While they have only themselves to blame for being in this position, it's not clear to me that getting primarily draft picks is a very good option for them.

[footey]

How ironic if Embiid slips to 6th pick, but we draft another player desired by Wolves to facilitate the trade, and the Lakers snatch Embiid, and go on to win another 4 NBA championships. That would sting.