Kevin Love rumors: Chicago Bulls put deadline on deal
Now that they once again have LeBron James, the Cleveland Cavaliers know they are possibly closer than ever to winning a championship. That’s why they may be willing to deal the last two number one overall picks, forward Anthony Bennett (2013) and swingman Andrew Wiggins (2014) to acquire Minnesota Timberwolves’ power forward Kevin Love.
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Of course, the Cavaliers could refuse to include Wiggins, which would likely force the Timberwolves to look elsewhere for a deal. The Chicago Bulls are also after Love and have reportedly have offered big man Taj Gibson and a pair of rookies, former Real Madrid forward Nikola Mirotić and former Creighton Blue Jays’ forward Doug McDermott. As Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders points out, the Bulls have put a deadline on a potential deal involving Love.
"I think if Minnesota passes on Wiggins or the Cavs pull Wiggins out, then the Bulls are very much in it… I think the Wolves like the Cavs deal if it includes Wiggins. Chicago put a deadline on their offer so we’ll see."
The Golden State Warriors, if they decide to trade guard Klay Thompson, something they have refused to do thus far, and the Denver Nuggets, who can offer swingman Wilson Chandler, power forward Kenneth Faried and guard Arron Afflalo, are also in the mix to acquire Love.
Love averaged 26.1 points, 12.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game last season while shooting 45.7% from the field, 37.6% from three and 82.1% from the charity stripe last season. Gibson averaged 13.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.1 assists per game last year while shooting 47.9% from the floor and 75.1% from the free throw line. McDermott won the Naismith Award as the country’s best player, putting up a career-high 26.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. He shot 52.6% from the field, 44.9% from beyond the arc and 86.4% from the free throw line. Mirotić averaged 13.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game for Real Madrid last season.