Don’t be surprised if Kevin Love turns down a contract offer from the Timberwolves today.
Why? Perhaps Love and agent Jeff Schwartz figure the Wolves franchise needs to prove it will become a winner before the All-Star forward makes a long term commitment to staying here.
Under NBA rules, the Wolves have through today to negotiate with fourth-year players like Love. If a deal isn’t made by then, contract talks have to wait until after the league season.
The maximum contract the Wolves could extend the 23-year-old power forward is for five years at about $80 million. The Wolves have reportedly offered four years and about $20 million less, but perhaps even the maximum deal might not convince Love to sign a new contract, preferring to become a restricted free agent next summer.
Although the Wolves could match any deal from another NBA team next summer and retain Love, he might opt for a shorter deal and free agency in 2013. That’s not to say Love won’t be here long term but it’s a solid gold bet he wants to play for a winning organization and he might wait to evaluate how much more his team improves this season and next offseason.
In his first three seasons with the Wolves, the team produced records of 24-58, 15-67 and 17-65. With the addition of rookie point guard phenom Ricky Rubio and other changes, the Wolves are improved but still a project.
ESPN in-studio analyst Jon Barry believes Love is the NBA’s best power forward. He’s a gifted scorer, rebounder and passer. Although he’s 6-10, Love can score both inside and outside. He’s averaging 24.9 points per game, fourth best in the league. He’s second in NBA rebounding at 13.9.
Ask anyone around the Wolves and they will tell you Love is a person of character, a team guy and good citizen in a league where often the knuckleheads make headlines. He’s already a star and the kind of player the Wolves would be devastated without.
The NBA is a star-driven league and the local team finally has one legit star in Love and another—Rubio—in production. It takes at least two stars to win a championship and five years from now the Wolves need both warm weather loving players shivering through another Minneapolis winter.