Kevin Love would be a good fit on the Chicago Bulls.
Cue the speculation.
Since it was first reported that Love was “unsure” about his standing with the Minnesota Timberwolves, rumors of his future and what it will hold have run rampant. As one of the NBA’s premier rebounders and floor spacers, Love would be a hot commodity on the trade market and the belief that he would bolt from Minny as soon as he possibly could made him attainable.
Which team has the assets to pull off that deal? Bill Simmons of ESPN’s Grantland believes it’s the Bulls:
And Kevin Love WILL be traded. It’s inevitable. It might happen this summer, it might happen during next season, but it’s going to happen.
…
I don’t see how the T-Wolves make it through this summer without doing the same. The likeliest suitor? Chicago. The Bulls have big contracts to make the trade work (Luol Deng on the enticing side, Carlos Boozer on the less enticing side); they’re loaded with assets like Jimmy Butler (no. 49 on this year’s list), the rights to Mirotic (a high lottery pick if he entered this year’s draft), and the rights to Charlotte’s future no. 1 pick (top-10 protected in 2014, top-eight protected in 2015, unprotected in 2016); and they’re a big-market contender with a superstar in house (so they could keep Love for the long haul).
Would the Bulls be interested in making such a deal? Would they be willing to deal Nikola Mirotic, Carlos Boozer, Jimmy Butler and that Charlotte Bobcats pick to the Timberwolves for Love like Simmons suggests?
Um, yes.
Not only would the Bulls be acquiring a young stretch forward, but they’d be ridding themselves of Boozer’s contract. The organization still has high hopes for Morotic (though I don’t) and while Butler is a stud/even bigger future stud, he’s acceptable collateral damage when the return is Love. So of course you make this trade. If you’re the Bulls, you just do.
But do the Timberwolves?
Er…
I get that Butler would be a huge defensive lift on an already stingy defensive team and brings plenty of athletic upside on the offensive end, and I also get that Mirotic is still a valued prospect. And any first round pick of the Bobcats’ that is unprotected in 2016 looks good. But Boozer? Seriously?
I don’t see the Timberwolves wanting to pay the final two years and $30-plus million left on his deal. Love is signed for two years longer, which totals more than $28 million more, but that’s not a contract that would be difficult to move. At all. He’s Kevin Love, Injuries and all, he’s still bankable. But again, Boozer? Two years isn’t a long time, but he halts the rebuilding process. He can still score and rebound, and he should work well off the pick-and-roll with Ricky Rubio, yet is he really worthy to be the centerpiece of a Love deal?
I say “centerpiece” even though Butler, Mirotic and the pick are more intriguing pulls because of his salary. If we’re talking short term, I’d rather see Minnesota snag Pau Gasol from the Los Angeles Lakers, who we know they (and Rubio) are obsessed.
Would Boozer be enough to get the Kevin Love ball rolling between Chicago and Minnesota?
The twist? Simmons might be right. The Bulls might be the best suitor. Why? Because what other team do you know that has both the necessary contracts to make a deal work financially, and enticing young assets to throw in with it? The Lakers sure as hell don’t. Few teams do.
Any deal involving Love isn’t likely to be a monstrous win. Minny is going to have to take back an expensive contract to make the dollars and cents work. A contract like Boozer’s. They could pursue Luol Deng, who I doubt would be a deal breaker for Chicago. Yet with Andrei Kirilenko already in tow and Jimmy Butler on his way, his presence on the wing would prove a bit redundant. Unless the Timberwolves elect to play super small and use Deng at the 4, Boozer would be the best option.
Don’t go buying your custom-made Love Bulls jerseys just yet, though. This is pure conjecture at the moment (just like any other rumor ever). Love would be a good fit with the Bulls, but he’d be a good fit with most teams. And I’m not entirely convinced the Timberwolves trade him now or even soon. He’s still 24. They have time to see how next season unfolds before making any brash decisions.
But you can bet that if the Timberwolves do decide to move him, the Bulls will be interested. And so will any other team who values rebounding and scoring.
So, just about everyone.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com. Follow @danfavale on Twitter for his latest posts and all things NBA.
