The L.A. Lakers are feverishly working to land All-Star forward and native son Kevin Love in a blockbuster deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
CBS Sports reports the Lakers are offering a package that at least includes center Pau Gasol and his expiring $19.3 million contract and their 2014 first-round draft pick, which figures lottery slotted given the team now has the league’s fourth worse record.
If not by Thursday’s trade deadline, it’s widely assumed in NBA circles that at some point the Wolves will be forced to move Love, as the 25-year-old, five-year vet can become a free-agent after the 2015 season and has given every indication he plans to leave town the moment he’s able.
It’s also no secret that Love’s agent, Jeff Schwartz, is also intent on landing his client in a major media market, with L.A. being the preferred destination. Minnesota has failed to make the playoffs in any of Love’s first five seasons and appears destined for the draft lottery yet again this season.
Since being named team president of basketball operations last May, Flip Saunders has tried in-vein to convince Love to allow him and the organization more time to turn the franchise around. A three-time All-Star, Love is averaging 25.8 points and 13.2 rebounds this season, fourth and second in the league respectively.
During All-Star weekend in New Orleans, Kobe Bryant told reporters having all the cap space the Lakers will have this summer is “right in their wheelhouse” in terms of quickly turning the now floundering organization around. It now seems Love figures at the heart of most of those plans.
Dallas has also expressed interest in doing a deal to land Love, but owner Mark Cuban and company might be a bit leery of trading away the quality of assets it will take to get Love without having any assurances that he would be willing to stay beyond the 2015 season.
