Minnesota Timberwolves president Flip Saunders doesn't want Kevin Love's opinion on who the team should hire as coach, which reportedly may indicate Saunders believes Love won't be around for long. The Los Angeles Lakers, meanwhile, reportedly hope to trade their first round pick in the 2014 NBA draft for Love.
Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman retired on Monday, creating a vacancy to be filled. Saunders will use the summer to begin the search for Minnesota's next head coach but has already said he won't ask Love about potential candidates, according to ESPN.
According Judd Zulgad of 1500ESPN, Saunders's decision not to consult Love means one of three things:
"1) Saunders is determined to draw the line on just how far he thinks he should go to appease Love, 2) Saunders has determined that there is nothing he can do to keep Love around, 3) Saunders has no intention of telling the media, 'Heck, yeah, Love's going to have a say,' and instead quietly will talk to the player in confidence."
Minnesota reportedly doesn't want to trade Love because they are confident they can re-sign him next summer. If they go that route and are wrong, Love could walk in 2015 for free.
The Los Angeles Lakers, in an effort to quickly become championship contenders again, reportedly hope for a high pick lottery pick in the 2014 draft to trade for Love.
"The dream scenarios are hitting the lottery for a healthy Joel Embiid, or trading their No. 1 pick to Minnesota for Kevin Love," Mark Heisler of Forbes wrote on Monday. "The Lakers will certainly make the offer; the Timberwolves might even go for it if Love, who's widely suspected of wanting to join the Lakes, tells the Wolves that he'll walk when his contract runs out in 2015, otherwise."
Love has been rumored to favor signing with the Lakers or the New York Knicks; CBS Sports reported it's a well-known secret Love wants to be a Laker.
If Minnesota were to trade Love to Los Angeles, the Lakers would have the cap space for him.
If Love wants to play in New York, he would have to play out the final year of his contract and sign with them as a free agent in 2015, when the Knicks' would have cap space to sign him.
