The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly planning to make a strong push to acquire Kevin Love either this summer or before next season's trade deadline, but reports indicated that the Minnesota Timberwolves have no plans to trade the All-Star forward.
The Timberwolves are set to miss the postseason again this year, and most executives are convinced that Love, who has yet to make the playoffs in his six-year career, will look for a chance of scenery.
The popular belief at this point is that the former UCLA Bruin, who is averaging 26.0 points and 12.6 rebounds per game this season, will force a trade to Los Angeles or wait until the summer of 2015 to sign with the Lakers.
However, Basketball Insider's Steve Kyler played down speculations, saying that the 25-year-old power forward will consider all options. Previous reports indicated that teams like the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls are interested in going all in for Love.
Kyler also reported that the Timberwolves, who could lose Love for nothing when he hits free agency in 2015, are willing to roll the dice with sources saying that the team won't entertain trade offers this summer.
"The popular opinion is that the Wolves have to move Love this summer while they can control the market in some ways and extract the most value out of a trade involving Love. However, the word around the team is that not only will the Wolves not move their star this summer," Kyler wrote.
Multiple reports suggested that the team's top brass, including team owner Glen Taylor and team president Flip Saunders, are still optimistic that Love will decide to stay in Minnesota.
Sources indicated that Taylor and Saunders are convinced that the team's ability to offer the most guaranteed money, coupled with a coaching change this summer would convince Love to sign a long-term deal with the Timberwolves.
"There are still some in the organization that believe the right coaching hire and the ability to offer him the most guaranteed money for his services could sway Love into a new long-term deal," Kyler noted.
