The Los Angeles Lakers enter one of their most interesting offseasons in sometime after going through the worst campaign in franchise history, and Kevin Love remains a possible trade target for LA.
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According to BasketballInsiders.com, the Timberwolves have reluctantly fielded calls regarding possible trades involving the All-Star power forward as the team doesn't want to lose him for nothing once he hits the open market in 2015. Love has made it clear he won't remain in Minnesota when his contract expires. It remains to be seen if the Lakers would have the assetts to pull off a deal or if they'd have to wait until 2015 to try and court Love.
Minnesota has been reluctant to move Love, but reports indicate that his agent has been adding fuel to the speculation that Love wants out because he is tired of losing. While the Timberwolves haven't been the ones making the phone calls for a potential deal, they have taken calls from up to 16 teams interested in striking a deal for Love.
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Love recently said that the New York Knicks are an "intriguing" option due to the fact that Phil Jackson was hired as team president in March but the Lakers also remain in the hunt.
Love, a Santa Monica native, obviously has ties to California and would be interested in coming to Los Angeles while the Lakers would love to have him compliment Kobe Bryant, who wants a sixth NBA title as his career winds down to the end.
Bryant signed a two-year extension with Los Angeles but it is widely speculated he may be done playing once that deal ends and he has made it well known how much he wants the Lakers to make the right moves to position the team to win another title with him before he bows out.
Love could be just the shot in the arm the team needs to bounce back from a franchise-worst 27-55 season where it missed the playoffs for the first time since 2004. If Love remains with the Timberwolves and hits the open market, the Lakers are likely to come calling for him in the summer of 2015.
Despite Love missing the playoffs for the sixth time in his career due to the T-Wolves not qualifying for the tournament for the 10th straight season, he still had a great year. Love averaged 26.1 points, 12.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game on the 2013-14 campaign as Minnesota finished 40-42.
Los Angeles is hoping to upgrade through the NBA Draft -- at which they have the No. 7 pick -- next Thursday and through free agency, but a trade could always remain a possibility.
Los Angeles is also looking for a new coach as Mike D'Antoni resigned and took a $2 million buyout at the end of the season after it was revealed that the Lakers were leaning towards bringing him back but didn't want to exercise his option for the 2015-16 season.
Not wanting to be a lame duck coach and to face questions about his job status for yet another season as he did in 2013-14, D'Antoni opted to leave the franchise. General manager Mitch Kupchak has taken a slow and calculating approach to hiring the new coach in a process that could last many weeks.
The Lakers are looking to bounce back from a tough season and Love would give them a much-needed boost, but it is unknown if the Timberwolves will end up parting ways with the All-Star forward.
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