Kevin Love trade officially approved by NBA
The wait is officially over as Kevin Love has officially been made a Cleveland Cavalier Saturday as the teams finalized a deal that sent away Cleveland’s 2013 and 2014 first round picks, Anthony Bennett and Andrew Wiggins to the Timberwolves. Love will join LeBron James in Cleveland.
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Also part of the trade was the 76ers Thaddeus Young who was also sent to Minnesota while the Timberwolves sent J.J. Barea and Alexey Shved to Philadelphia as well as Miami’s 2015 first round pick.
In summary: Kevin Love to Cavs, Wiggins, Bennett, Young to Wolves; Barea, Shved, Heat 2015 1st to Philly.
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) August 23, 2014
Cleveland, Minnesota and Philadelphia have completed NBA trade call, source tells Yahoo. Kevin Love has joined LeBron James with the Cavs.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 23, 2014
Cavs, Wolves, 76ers have completed Kevin Love trade officially. As part of deal Wolves will receive 6.3M trade exception.
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) August 23, 2014
Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Aug. 6 that the two sides had come to a verbal agreement. The trade could not be finalized until Aug. 23, the 30-day mark since Wiggins signed his rookie contract.
Love, 25, expressed that he wanted to leave Minnesota after the 2013-2014 season and with his contract up after next season, Minnesota was looking for options.
Cleveland was able to offer Love a five year, $120 million plus deal according to Yahoo! Sports.
The Warriors, Bulls and Cavaliers were front runners for Love and a last minute push by the Phoenix Suns yesterday had people wondering. But., Cleveland, Philadelphia and Minnesota made it official today after a phone call took place.
Minnesota has entered a full rebuild with trading away Love for the young Bennett, Wiggins and Young. The two will join young Ricky Rubio as well as rookie Zach LaVine. Minnesota has not made the playoffs in 10 years.
Love joins four-time MVP LeBron James who is returning to Cleveland after four seasons in Miami all in the NBA finals where Miami won two and lost two. Kyrie Irving is another asset that Love will get to play alongside who has been an NBA All-Star in his last two seasons. Irving has only played in the NBA three years.
Last season Kevin Love averaged 26.1 points per game and 12.5 rebounds. He was the first to average at least 26 points and 12 boards per game as well as four assists since the NBA-ABA merger.
If the Cavaliers don’t make a title run with the best player in the NBA along with Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, it would be shocking.