Rumors continue to persist that the Boston Celtics are trying to trade for Minnesota Timberwolves star Kevin Love before or on the night of the 2014 NBA draft. Boston, with its bevy of draft picks, have enough promising assets to make a deal worthwhile for Minnesota.
Boston owns two first-round picks in the upcoming draft, which makes them a frontrunner in terms of having the assets to entice Minnesota into a trade. With the draft less than 10 days away, ESPN's Chad Ford became the latest to report Boston's hopes of acquiring Love this offseason through a trade.
"...I continue to get strong signals that the Celtics are trying hard to use pick No. 6 and 17 along with future No. 1s and young players such as Jared Sullinger or Kelly Olynyk to persuade the Minnesota Timberwolves to trade them Kevin Love," Ford wrote on Tuesday. "One source close to the Wolves said that while (president) Flip Saunders does not want to trade Love, he realizes the team likely will lose him (next) summer and the package the Celtics are offering is probably the best he's going to get.
"Given the strength of the draft, picks 6, 13 and 17 could land them three young starters to help them rebuild their roster."
Love wants to play for a playoff contender, and although Boston is a lottery pick team this summer, the Celtics have perennial All-Star Rajon Rondo to play beside Love. The pairing, the Celtics hope, would be enough to convince Love to sign a long-term extension with the team.
Grantland's Bill Simmons first reported the possibility of Boston trading for Love.
"Let's say the Celtics lose the 2014 lottery and end up with a pick between No. 3 and No. 5," Simmons wrote on Feb. 26. "They could send that pick to Minny along with Atlanta's first-rounder (probably ending up in the 13-to-18 range) and their 2015 Clippers pick for Love. And they could throw in Brandon Bass and Keith Bogan's immediately waivable deal to make the contracts work.
"Oh, and if Minnesota were more interested in one or more of those future Brooklyn picks that Boston owns (unprotected in 2016 and 2018, pick swap in 2017), the Celtics could discuss that, too. ... That deal could potentially net the Timberwolves three top-15 picks in a monster draft."
The NBA draft is on Thursday, June 26.
