The Kevin Love Safari™

[Double Down]

Re: The Kevin Love Safari™

An even bigger problem with the Kyrie story was that he didn't have the choice of leaving. He had the majority of the country believing that Kyrie was a free agent and was leaving the Cavs. That was not even possible. He had at least four more years here. That's what made the story so dumb. But then again, Windy does not have the best grasp on the way NBA contracts work or the salary cap. Remember when he tweeted that the Heat had $55 million in cap room when they were $10 million over the cap?

Imagine if the following Twitter message would have come earlier in the pre-season:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Congrats Coach Byron Scott!! Truly happy for you.</p>&mdash; Kyrie Irving (@KyrieIrving) <a href="https://twitter.com/KyrieIrving/statuses/494188628805828608">July 29, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

It would not have been well received locally and LA fans would be going crazy.

As is, a few LA fans posted messages back to Kyrie that ranged between sad and hopeful/delusional. The Lakers dream heading into this offseason was to somehow pair Kyrie and Kevin Love within the next two years. It's insane that not only have we actually accomplished that fantastic pairing, but we also have LeBron and other key young pieces as well. The one real downside to the Love trade issue is that it doesn't seem like we have gotten the chance to flat out enjoy what the Cavs have accomplished this offseason (which has been one home run after another). Once the Love issue is settled (either way), we will have far less to talk about, but it will be fun to fully imagine the possibilities.

 

[Kizzle]

Re: The Kevin Love Safari™

I can't respect Windhorst after these past 4 years of reporting

 

[CosmoKramer]

Re: The Kevin Love Safari™

Take this with a grain of salt. I've communicated with my friend in the T-Wolves org. I will note that he does not have direct lines to Saunders or Taylor. He is in the front office and interacts with players and execs inside the org, but he's not someone involved with what actually goes down with trade. His position does require advance notice of certain things.

This just doesn't make any sense. He doesn't have direct lines to the coach/GM, yet he's in the FO and interacts with the players and execs? He's not involved with what actually goes down, but he's required to have advanced notice of certain things? What the fuck?

Congrats on using scuttlebutt 6 times in one post though, tip of the cap on that.

 

[Futuredome]

I don't think Windhorst was wrong with the Lebron/Kyrie situation. I think Lebron had become disgusted with Kyrie's attitude this year and that isn't a out of the box opinion. But Lebron thinks in business terms, was not going to stop his return to the Cavs.

 

[Randolphkeys]

An even bigger problem with the Kyrie story was that he didn't have the choice of leaving. He had the majority of the country believing that Kyrie was a free agent and was leaving the Cavs. That was not even possible. He had at least four more years here. That's what made the story so dumb. But then again, Windy does not have the best grasp on the way NBA contracts work or the salary cap. Remember when he tweeted that the Heat had $55 million in cap room when they were $10 million over the cap?

Windhorst reported that Kyrie could force his way out by threatening to sign a one year contract, which is accurate. Kyrie didn't want Mike Brown to be his coach and his father told anyone who would listen. But keep shooting the messenger here! It doesn't matter how often Ben proves that you are wrong, keep spitting the same incorrect BS!!

 

[Kizzle]

There's definitely a deal in place. No way this has gone on this long and no reports of issues have come out. Seems as if this Is a grueling process but I wouldn't be surprised if Minny has narrowed it down to us. Despite what the other offers were, I'm sure ours is the only one that contains multiple first, ZERO bad contracts, and multiple young players. Bennett is the worst contract they'd be taking in and they can just not pick up his team option

 

[KLove14]

Check out nbatv if you want a glimpse of our future cav

45 & 19 vs the Clips. Just started

And that was after a 29pt/15reb/9ass game against Aldridge in the previous game...

 

[Mr. MacPhisto]

I think your friend is incorrect, but will see. Too many items have line up for the deal not to be in place. Bennett - Wiggins - Love have all shut it down. The Wolves have signed their 14th (Hummel) & 15th (Mo Williams) player under contact in the last 5 days...you don't do that unless you have it planned where JJ Barea and other assets are going.

The one thing that I hope happens is Bennett goes to the 76ers and Wiggins goes to the Wolves along with Young. But I' m getting scared about these rumors of Waiters going to the 76ers....Bennett + Young + Wiggins going to the Wolves.....Love & Brewer coming to us...

I'm excited about Love...but nervous we are giving up 3 assets instead of 2.

Why does signing 14 and 15 matter when you can carry 20 into camp?

I trust my friend on this and I tend to believe the scuttlebutt. What I don't know is if the Cavs are bluffing or not.

Of course Love shut it down. That has nothing to do with the Cavs. Bennett looked like he was favoring his shoulder - and I don't think he's injured, but I'm not sure that his agent would prevent him from participating because he felt a trade was imminent. I tend to think he wanted Bennett to make it look like he could be hurting to THWART a trade.

I don't have inside information on this, but I can guarantee that Bennett and Wiggins don't want to be traded. They get to play with LeBron in Cleveland or play in a burning dumpster in Minnesota. I read the Bennett pull and how he ACTED (getting worked on in plain sight, favoring his shoulder, etc) as an attempt to worry anyone who potential wants him in a trade. I think Wiggins isn't playing because he doesn't want to further showcase himself and he has his own worries having just signed his first pro deal. You don't want to get hurt right after a team signed you.

One belief in Minnesota is that IF the Cavs have other deals lined up that one of them involves Waiters in Philadelphia. That's conjecture from the org, but if Cleveland is serious about this being the last offer, they feel a trade directly with Philly and possibly another team is likely. They are actually concerned that the Cavs are eyeing Thad Young if they don't land Love soon, that they may have a trade set up with a couple teams - and that would be the nightmare scenario for Minnesota. They want Thad Young to make it at least look they are going to try to win after trading Love. If they don't get him, they'll be left hoping that Golden State includes Thompson.

When changes have come in the past, they have been alerted where my friend is at. They have not been told to expect any changes. It takes them time to shift what they're doing where he's at. They need some notice - not with specifics, but just generally. They have received none. They were notified weeks before Derrick Williams was traded last year to be prepared for a change - no specifics, but a notice that a deal was being actively pursued. That has not happened and they cannot turn on a dime.

Take it as you will, but he and members that have been with the Wolves much longer than him (one of his coworkers has been there since the beginning of the franchise) do not expect anything is done or even imminent. They would have not been told details, but would have been told to prepare for a change. No changes to their offseason prep has occurred and that means they plow forward expecting Love to return and working on ways to lessen any negativity from the local fanbase.

 

[Chris]

Windhorst reported that Kyrie could force his way out by threatening to sign a one year contract, which is accurate. Kyrie didn't want Mike Brown to be his coach and his father told anyone who would listen. But keep shooting the messenger here! It doesn't matter how often Ben proves that you are wrong, keep spitting the same incorrect BS!!

Double exclamation marks aren't your style, someone hack your account?

 

[Chris]

And that was after a 29pt/15reb/9ass game against Aldridge in the previous game...

[video=youtube;jYj7T9eEQ4U]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYj7T9eEQ4U[/video]

Remember the people on here who say Love isnt that good? Me neither.

 

[Mr. MacPhisto]

Re: The Kevin Love Safari™

This just doesn't make any sense. He doesn't have direct lines to the coach/GM, yet he's in the FO and interacts with the players and execs? He's not involved with what actually goes down, but he's required to have advanced notice of certain things? What the fuck?

Congrats on using scuttlebutt 6 times in one post though, tip of the cap on that.

If you can't figure out what he does then I won't tell you directly. I think you should be able to figure it out. If it's any hint, I will say his degree is in Communications.

 

[Anglefan]

Windhorst reported that Kyrie could force his way out by threatening to sign a one year contract, which is accurate. Kyrie didn't want Mike Brown to be his coach and his father told anyone who would listen. But keep shooting the messenger here! It doesn't matter how often Ben proves that you are wrong, keep spitting the same incorrect BS!!

Nobody has ever signed the one year deal and Kyrie would not have been the first. There's no way to know that for sure obviously, but come on. It's just so unlikely that anyone would do that.

He also reported that LeBron would not play with Kyrie and the Heat had $55 million in cap room. Will you at least concede that he has reported A TON of incorrect/implausible information and that his NBA knowledge is nothing to write home about?

 

[Randolphkeys]

Double exclamation marks aren't your style, someone hack your account?

Nope!!!

:gap:

Just annoyed that this is turning into a Bash Windy thread, which it shouldn't be. He has done a lot for this website and other local websites in NE Ohio. The man is just juggling a local allegiance with the way he pays his mortgage. He would look like a hack defending everything this franchise has done in the past four years because they haven't won many games in the past four years.

 

[csb669]

Take this with a grain of salt. I've communicated with my friend in the T-Wolves org. I will note that he does not have direct lines to Saunders or Taylor. He is in the front office and interacts with players and execs inside the org, but he's not someone involved with what actually goes down with trade. His position does require advance notice of certain things.

Like any job, scuttlebutt flows through the organization. Towards the end of the day today that scuttlebutt indicated that the Cavaliers have delivered the last set of trade parameters they will consider in regards to Kevin Love. Who is included is unknown, but the word is that it does not include Andrew Wiggins and that the Cavs have been unwilling to include him. It's been discussed, but inclusion of Wiggins requires more than the Wolves would be willing to give.

So, the scuttlebutt is that this is the Cavs final offer essentially. Minnesota can agree to work within the framework of what the Cavs have presented and they have until the end of the week to respond. If they do not positively respond, the Cavs will move on with other moves they have in place and pull out completely of the pursuit of Kevin Love right now. I have no idea what the Cavs' alternatives are.

Further, the Wolves think it is a bluff and are unlikely to respond positively.

All of this sounds about right, logically speaking. I think if Wiggins were truly on the table, a deal in principle would have been announced by now. Even the Herald, after being the first to report Wiggins was being offered, later backpedalled. Not to mention, if the reports of Love's agent requesting a trade to the Cavs are true, their leverage went out the window because that underscores the fact that the Cavs could simply wait and sign him in the off-season without giving up anything.

My dream scenario is that the Cavs play hardball, involve a third team (i.e. Thad and Philly) and get Love for Thompson, Bennett and picks. Probably a pipedream but it's hard to justify more without a long term contract in place.



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[Kizzle]

What is our incentive to GIVE Waiters to Philly? There is no one they could give us but Noel that would make me even think about it. I understand Minny targeting young but what part of the deal makes it worth it for us to gift wrap them Waiters?

Seems out of left field to me