Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor told Sports Headliners he isn’t feeling pressured to trade Kevin Love and isn’t discounting the possibility of starting the season with the star power forward on his roster. He also said late last week that a trade might have been made by now if the Wolves and one other club were involved, indicating a multi-team exchange is preferred by him and team president Flip Saunders.
Love and Jeff Schwartz, his agent, have done nothing to discourage media reports about the six-year veteran wanting to leave the Wolves with one year remaining on his contract before he becomes an unrestricted free agent, possibly joining a winning team like the Cavs who have added LeBron James to their roster this summer. The Wolves haven’t made the playoffs since 2004.
Love’s desire to leave Minneapolis sets up an uncomfortable situation for him if Taylor and Saunders still have him on the roster when training camp starts in September. Love will be facing hostile fans in Minnesota, and it would be much easier for him to become acclimated to a new team in training camp rather than during the season.
“We would probably prefer to get it (a trade) done before camp,” Taylor said. “Not so much the pressure on us, but I think maybe on Kevin. It would be better for him to know where he stood before that.”
Taylor said neither Love nor his agent have pressured the Timberwolves about a trade. Taylor hasn’t pressured them either and said it’s possible Love could remain on the Wolves roster until a deal is made next year prior to the winter trade deadline. “There’s a possibility (of next year) in the sense that we don’t feel that we are under any type of time frame ourselves. We haven’t put that on ourselves that we have to get it done by a certain time. My preference is that Kevin would stay here.”
Like a veteran poker player, Taylor appears to be sitting at the trade table wanting adversaries to believe he holds a lot of winning cards—even the possibility that Love will remain with the team for years to come. Taylor called it “realistic” that Love could stay with his team, yet acknowledged the impression given by his player and agent certainly makes that appear unlikely.
“Do I think it’s possible? I certainly do think it’s possible,” Taylor said. “But at this time we’re looking at all the scenarios.”
Taylor believes Love could enjoy playing for Saunders who this spring added coaching to his front office responsibilities. Saunders relates well to players and Taylor wants to believe if the Wolves play well early next season Love might be convinced to re-sign with Minnesota in the summer of 2015. If not, a trade could still be managed next winter.
Taylor hasn’t spoken with Love since the trade saga surfaced after the 2014 season but if he thought the opportunity was right for a meeting the billionaire businessman would be available. “I would be glad to do it but I think at this point what we’re doing is looking at all the alternatives,” Taylor said. “A number of teams have come to us with different options and Flip is kind of looking at them all, and that’s where we’re at. It hasn’t been the right time to talk to Kevin because we’re looking at a lot of different things. But if I felt that was the last or most important issue, of course I would sit down with Kevin and talk to him…”
Love is a former NBA all-star and Olympic gold medal winner. He has established himself as one of the world’s best rebounders and is an extraordinary scorer, particularly away from the basket with his three-point shooting. The Wolves know his talent gives them leverage and they will want to maximize the return in a trade, whether it’s with one club or more.
“We think we can best be served by getting more than one team involved.” Taylor said. “We have time to work on these things, and we’ll probably take some time to get it done.”
If the Wolves can receive the best players from a team in their conference, they won’t hesitate to trade with that club or clubs even though it will mean playing more against Love. What about trade preferences for receiving draft choices versus veteran players?
“I know those are the considerations we’re considering right now,” Taylor said. “I don’t think it’s going to be quite as simple as just one or the other. I think we just got to look at everything.”
Worth Noting
Kevin Garnett had made $315.4 million in career earnings last spring, according to an April 29 Businessinsider.com story by Cork Gaines. That put Garnett at No. 1 for the most ever earned by an NBA player and he plans to play a 20th season with the Nets in 2014-2015, reportedly for $12 million. Maybe Garnett, who played 12 seasons for Taylor and the Wolves, might one day have interest in buying a minority share of the Timberwolves.
“I would always explore that,” Taylor said. “At one time Kevin and I had a wonderful relationship. We haven’t been in touch for awhile and I don’t know what the relationship would be. I have…a certain respect and relationship with Kevin that I hold highly.”
Losing money on the Timberwolves operation, including last season, is the annual norm for Taylor but he said depending on payroll the franchise could make a profit next season.
Taylor’s other team, the Lynx, has the second best WNBA record, 20-6, and is trying to win another league championship. Fourth-year forward Maya Moore, the WNBA MVP last year, may end up having her best season. She scored a franchise record 48 points earlier this month and has been leading the league in scoring at 24.3 points per game.
“Her potential (upside) is hard to tell,” Taylor said. “She has so many wonderful characteristics. Not only the physical, but the mental characteristics and leadership characteristics to just be superb in so many areas. Yet she plays team ball with the other players.
“I don’t know what her limits would be. One might just say the sky’s the limit with her…”
The Vikings didn’t practice yesterday but resume workouts today leading up to Saturday night’s annual passing scrimmage at training camp in Mankato. The team also doesn’t practice on August 3, 7 and 9 in Mankato.
Hollis Cavner, executive director of the 3M Championship, told sports radio 105 FM on Monday that he will take Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus to Saturday night’s Paul McCartney concert at Target Field. Palmer, Nicklaus and Gary Player will be among those playing in the Greats of Golf Challenge on Saturday as part of the 3M promotion at TCP Twin Cities in Blaine.
The Gophers home nonconference hockey game against Notre Dame, originally scheduled for November 8, has been moved to November 9. The team’s Big Ten schedule has also been finalized with more information at Gophersports.com. The 2014-15 season will be the 93rd for the program.