Lakers trying to trade for Love, u mad ?

[kobeunderbite]

The Lakers and Mavericks are trying to assemble trade offers for prospective free agent Kevin Love, but thus far the Timberwolves have given no indication they'll consider moving the All-Star forward by Thursday's deadline, league sources told CBSSports.com.

Love will be a free agent in 2015, and it is widely known around the league that he and his agent, New York-based Jeff Schwartz, are determined to get him to a major market. The Lakers, Love's first choice, "have the best shot" of landing the Southern California native, one person familiar with the player's thinking said. There is no incentive in the CBA for Love to sign an extension with Minnesota before he has a chance to decline his player option and hit the open market in July 2015.

Giving up significant assets for Love would be problematic for any team that isn't confident it will be able to sign him when he becomes a free agent. That is obviously not an issue for the Lakers.

Still, other teams are said to be feverishly pursuing a premium first-round pick that could be included in a package for Love, a three-time All-Star who is fourth in the league in scoring (25.8 points per game) and second in rebounding (13.2).

In the end, it will fall on Timberwolves president Flip Saunders to pull the trigger on a Love deal or wait him out and hope he's able to turn the franchise's fortunes around in time to persuade him to stay. Minnesota has yet to make the playoffs in Love's five seasons and is likely headed to the lottery again this year.

According to a person familiar with Saunders' strategy, he has indicated there is "no way" he will trade Love by Thursday's 3 p.m. ET deadline.

Any Lakers offer would have to include Pau Gasol, whose $19.3 million contract comes off the books this summer. Rival executives believe the Lakers' best chance of moving Gasol is to a team that views him as worthy re-signing to a more reasonable deal this summer -- not as a rental. The Lakers also can offer their 2014 first-round pick, which has value. With Kobe Bryant out indefinitely, the Lakers are tied for the fourth-worst record in the league.

During All-Star weekend, Bryant said the Lakers having cap space this summer is "right in their wheelhouse" and said he's confident GM Mitch Kupchak would make the moves necessary for a "quick turnaround." LA currently has room to sign a max free agent this summer, but could opt to acquire one via trade and then make more moves in 2015-16, Bryant's final season under contract.

[Havlicekstealsit]

So basically what everyone has been predicting for years now.

[AbeVigodaLive]

Lakers may end up with Love. But what do they have to offer in a trade?

Gasol and a 1st rd pick isn't enough.

[kobeunderbite]

Lakers may end up with Love. But what do they have to offer in a trade?

Gasol and a 1st rd pick isn't enough.

Gasol and a top-5 pick in one of the most stacked drafts ever is more than the Wolves could ever hope to get elsewhere. He's probably walking anyway.

I don't think the Wolves will do it, out of some misplaced sense of pride. And they're dumb. But they should do it.

I don't want the Lakers to do it. I'd rather we drafted a stud in June and then sign Love when he's a FA.

[rileymartin]

Lakers may end up with Love. But what do they have to offer in a trade?

Gasol and a 1st rd pick isn't enough.

'I would have to agree.

It would be one thing if Love was in the last year of his deal, but there is just no way Gasol and a pick will be enough to get him this season, and really, the Lakers have nothing else to offer.

[rileymartin]

Lakers may end up with Love. But what do they have to offer in a trade?

Gasol and a 1st rd pick isn't enough.

Gasol and a top-5 pick in one of the most stacked drafts ever is more than the Wolves could ever hope to get elsewhere. He's probably walking anyway.

I don't think the Wolves will do it, out of some misplaced sense of pride. And they're dumb. But they should do it.

I don't want the Lakers to do it. I'd rather we drafted a stud in June and then sign Love when he's a FA.

If the Lakers trade for Love though, will they still have a top 5 pick?

[Max]

No need to do it. We can't giveup this pick, no way.

We'll get Love in FA.

[kobeunderbite]

Lakers may end up with Love. But what do they have to offer in a trade?

Gasol and a 1st rd pick isn't enough.

Gasol and a top-5 pick in one of the most stacked drafts ever is more than the Wolves could ever hope to get elsewhere. He's probably walking anyway.

I don't think the Wolves will do it, out of some misplaced sense of pride. And they're dumb. But they should do it.

I don't want the Lakers to do it. I'd rather we drafted a stud in June and then sign Love when he's a FA.

If the Lakers trade for Love though, will they still have a top 5 pick?

Yeah. Love is good but no one is carrying Nash/Blake/Kaman out of the bottom five.

[FPL]

No need to do it. We can't giveup this pick, no way.

We'll get Love in FA.

This x1000. We'll get him eventually, and we're not going to make the playoffs this year. Don't fucking rush it Mitch/Jim.

[thedangerouskitchen]

2014 Pau Gasol and a first-round pick for Kevin Love...??

ROFL... Flip Saunders would have to have rocks in his head to make that trade.

[elmouse03]

Hasn't every playoff team if not every team in general been trying to get Love for the last few seasons?

[FPL]

2014 Pau Gasol and a first-round pick for Kevin Love...??

ROFL... Flip Saunders would have to have rocks in his head to make that trade.

Two things though:

1) He's leaving after next season anyway, and people around the league are saying he's going to LA.
2) The Lakers' pick this year will likely be top 5 or 6 in the draft, so it's better than an ordinary first-round pick.

I don't think it's worth it though. They can just get him in free agency after next season.

[AbeVigodaLive]

2014 Pau Gasol and a first-round pick for Kevin Love...??

ROFL... Flip Saunders would have to have rocks in his head to make that trade.

Two things though:

1) He's leaving after next season anyway, and people around the league are saying he's going to LA.
2) The Lakers' pick this year will likely be top 5 or 6 in the draft, so it's better than an ordinary first-round pick.

I don't think it's worth it though. They can just get him in free agency after next season.

Is Kevin Love the type of guy a team like the Lakers punt an entire season for though? Especially with an aging Bryant?

That's never been their approach, has it?

[FPL]

2014 Pau Gasol and a first-round pick for Kevin Love...??

ROFL... Flip Saunders would have to have rocks in his head to make that trade.

Two things though:

1) He's leaving after next season anyway, and people around the league are saying he's going to LA.
2) The Lakers' pick this year will likely be top 5 or 6 in the draft, so it's better than an ordinary first-round pick.

I don't think it's worth it though. They can just get him in free agency after next season.

Is Kevin Love the type of guy a team like the Lakers punt an entire season for though? Especially with an aging Bryant?

That's never been their approach, has it?

Kobe won't be the centerpiece of a contending team going forward. I've come to terms with that.

[kobeunderbite]

Sign near-max type this summer (Bledsoe/Lowry/Stephenson).
Draft top-5 pick.
Sign Love in 2015.

Lowry/Exum
Bryant
Parker/Stephenson
Love
----

Lakers 2015-2016 champions.

[kobeunderbite]

Think it's funny that Laker fans just assume he'll hit the free agent market and be theirs. This isn't your daddy's Lakers who get whoever they want whenever they want. There's also other teams inquiring about Love's services.

The Celtics have been rumored to have offered a package involving a combination of Jeff Green, Avery Bradley, Jared Sullinger, Brandon Bass, and their first rounder this year (which is probably a top five just like the Lakers).

Right, because there has been no word of Love wanting to be a Laker. No such reports exist.

[rileymartin]

The Lakers. if they are confident that Love will sign with them no matter what in 2015 should do nothing.

They have already sold their soul to Kobe for the next 2 seasons anyway, so no need to rush it. Keep tanking, get a top 5 pick, let Kobe have his swan song next year, then kick him to the curb the following season and sign Love.
Pretty foolproof plan there.

[kobeunderbite]

The Lakers. if they are confident that Love will sign with them no matter what in 2015 should do nothing.

They have already sold their soul to Kobe for the next 2 seasons anyway, so no need to rush it. Keep tanking, get a top 5 pick, let Kobe have his swan song next year, then kick him to the curb the following season and sign Love.
Pretty foolproof plan there.

How do we kick Kobe and his $25m to the curb in 2015 ?

[Sudanese Sensation]

The Lakers. if they are confident that Love will sign with them no matter what in 2015 should do nothing.

They have already sold their soul to Kobe for the next 2 seasons anyway, so no need to rush it. Keep tanking, get a top 5 pick, let Kobe have his swan song next year, then kick him to the curb the following season and sign Love.
Pretty foolproof plan there.

He is on the books for two more seasons after this.

[kobeunderbite]

Think it's funny that Laker fans just assume he'll hit the free agent market and be theirs. This isn't your daddy's Lakers who get whoever they want whenever they want. There's also other teams inquiring about Love's services.

The Celtics have been rumored to have offered a package involving a combination of Jeff Green, Avery Bradley, Jared Sullinger, Brandon Bass, and their first rounder this year (which is probably a top five just like the Lakers).

Right, because there has been no word of Love wanting to be a Laker. No such reports exist.

Just like those reports saying Dwight wanted to go to Los Angeles right? Just like those reports that said Dwight wouldn't leave all that extra money on the table right?

The reports saying that Dwight wanted to go to LA were CORRECT. Dwight accepted a deal to the Lakers, and left because he couldn't handle being 2nd banana to Kobe. Love will have to deal with that for one season at the absolute most.

I don't remember any reports saying Dwight wouldn't leave money on the table and leave LA. Seems that was the feeling for a long time before last summer.