The Los Angeles Lakers have been reported as a potential destination in free agency this summer for Cleveland Cavaliers star Kevin Love, but he insists that isn't the case. With the NBA trade deadline looming, meanwhile, the Lakers reportedly will have a difficult time trying to deal players such as Jeremy Lin, Jordan Hill and Ed Davis.
Love is the third option on a team for the first time in his career, and he has readily admitted it's "one of the toughest situations" he's ever had to deal with. His struggles throughout the season with the Cavs have had some in the NBA community speculating Love could opt out of his contract after the season and sign with the Lakers as a free agent.
Love, though, reiterated his long-held stance to ESPN on Sunday that he has no plans to bolt from Cleveland to Los Angeles in the offseason.
More bad news for Lakers fans: Don't expect them to complete any big trades before the Feb. 19 deadline.
The names of Lin, Hill and Davis have been tossed around all season, but given their unenticing contracts - as Basketball Insiders' Steve Kyler breaks down HERE - it's unlikely Los Angeles finds any buyers for them without changing their plan heading into the offseason.
"The Lakers have been active, so don't mistake lack of progress as lack of interest, but the overarching plan is to preserve the cap flexibility for free agency," Kyler wrote Monday. "As long as that goal remains in place, it's going to be hard for the Lakers to flip any of their players for anything of value."
The NBA deadline is on Feb. 19.
