NBA Rumors: Washington Wizards a ‘stealth candidate’ for Kevin Love
The Washington Wizards became one of the most fun and balanced teams in the NBA and their exciting play helped them take down the Chicago Bulls in just five games during the first round of the playoffs and pushed the Indiana Pacers to six games in the second round before they ultimately bowed out of the playoffs.
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Now, the next goal of the Wizards is to further improve upon that success. They have two key free agents – their starting center, Marcin Gortat and their starting small forward, Trevor Ariza. The Wizards would like to keep both, but will likely make Gortat the priority.
Now, that doesn’t mean the Wizards won’t look for outside help. If they can use a piece to upgrade their team in a different way, they won’t hesitate to do so. The Wizards haven’t been connected with any of the bigger names, but Minnesota Timberwolves’ star power forward Kevin Love would be an excellent fit.
David Aldridge of NBA.com believes the Wizards are a “stealth candidate” for Love.
"Season complete. Wiz are a stealth candidate for Kevin Love — his father, Stan, who played for the then-Bullets in the early ’70s, gave his son the middle name “Wesley,” as in Wes Unseld. And Kevin Love has a soft spot as a result for the franchise. But the trade talk will surely die when the words “Bradley Beal” come out of Flip Saunders’ mouth."
If the Wizards could land Love without losing Beal, they could become a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference.
Love averaged 26.1 points, 12.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game last season.