The Minnesota Timberwolves are just talking to one team at this point about a potential trade involving Kevin Love - the Cleveland Cavaliers, ESPN reported.
Marc Stein and Brian Windhorst reported that the Cavaliers and the Timberwolves are engaged in serious discussion about a trade that would team Love up with four-time Most Valuable Player LeBron James, who recently decided to return to Cleveland.
Sources indicated that the Cavaliers would send 2014 first overall pick Andrew Wiggins along with last year's top pick Anthony Bennett and 2018 first-round pick in exchange for the All-Star power forward.
Both teams can't announce a deal until Aug. 23 because Wiggins signed his rookie contract last week, and NBA rules prohibit a rookie from being traded within 30 days after signing his first deal.
ESPN reported, though, that the Love-to-Cleveland deal is now just a question of when, and that the James-Love union with the Cavaliers will eventually happen.
"Wiggins is not eligible to be dealt until Aug. 23 after signing his rookie contract last week, but numerous league insiders -- some of whom are gathered in Las Vegas for this week's Team USA training camp -- have begun to describe a Love-to-Cleveland trade as a 'when/ transaction as opposed to an 'if.'" Stein and Windhorst wrote.
Sources also indicated that James, who recently signed a two-year deal worth $42.1 million contract, is already looking forward to playing alongside Love in a wine-and-gold jersey.
"With three weeks to go until Wiggins is eligible to be swapped for Love, one source said Wednesday that James himself already is 'looking forward' to the prospect of welcoming the All-Star power forward as his newest teammate," Stein and Windhorst wrote.
The Golden State Warriors and the Chicago Bulls were also previously mentioned as potential trade partners, but Timberwolves front office executives are reportedly high on Cleveland's offer mainly because of Wiggins, whom they are planning to build their team around.
The Warriors were viewed as a strong contender to acquire Love in a deal, but talks went down after Golden State remained firm on their reluctance to include Klay Thompson in the deal.
The Bulls, on the other hand, previously offered Taj Gibson, Doug McDermott and other assets, but they reportedly conceded that the Cavaliers' offer is way better than theirs.
