Minnesota boss Taylor admits Love trade will happen

Jay Asser 06:47 04/08/2014
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  • On the move: Kevin Love's trade to Cleveland is "inevitable".

    Glen Taylor has indicated a trade to send star Kevin Love to the Cleve­land Cavaliers is inevitable.

    Taylor said the All-Star forward is expected to be dealt around August 23-24, which happens to be the time when Cavs rookie Andrew Wiggins is eligible to be traded after he signed a four-year deal on July 24. Neither team can acknowledge a trade until 30 days pass from Wig­gins’ signing.

    “I’m saying it’s most likely because Kevin has made it pretty clear that that’s what he wants to do,” Taylor told the Minnesota-based newspaper St. Paul Pioneer Press.

    A trade is reportedly already in place that would send Love to Cleveland in exchange for Wiggins, 2013 first overall draft selection Anthony Bennett and a future first round pick.

    Love’s future with Minnesota has been up in the air all summer after the 25-year-old expressed his desire to move on from the team he’s played for his entire six-year career.

    He’ll be an unrestricted free agent next offseason and is not likely to ink an extension even if he’s traded because re-signing after the end of his current contract can yield a more lucrative deal.

    “I think when you move some­body like Kevin, who’s been an All- Star, that you’ve got to get a number of players on your team that have the potential of replacing him,” Taylor said. “Flip [Saunders, team president and coach] has looked at this team and offensively, he’s got a pretty good team.

    “Defensively, it’s got to be better, so I think that’s where some of the areas will be replaced.”

    Wiggins responded to the trade rumours while in Tarrytown, New York, for a photo shoot.

    “I just want to play for a team that wants me. So whichever team wants me I’ll play for,” he told ESPN. “At the end of the day you have to remember that the NBA is a busi­ness before anything. I’m a rookie. I really don’t have too much to say.”

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