Cavs Granted Permission To Speak To Love, No Deal In Place For New Contract

Post #1 » by **RealGM Wiretap** » Sat Aug 9, 2014 1:03 am

The Cleveland Cavaliers were granted permission by the Minnesota Timberwolves to speak directly to Kevin Love last month in an introductory fashion, according to sources.

LeBron James has also been in contact with Love for several week about their long-term intentions of playing together.

The Cavaliers and Wolves have agreed upon a trade that will become official in late August when Andrew Wiggins is eligible to be traded.

Sources insist no agreement for Love to sign a new contract with the Cavaliers next summer is in place. An agreement would be illegal under CBA rules and the NBA could block the trade and also give a punishment to both the Cavaliers and Wolves.

Sources confirmed to ESPN.com that the Cavs and Love can make no such arrangements about the future, even verbally, without violating salary cap circumvention rules in the league's collective bargaining agreement.

Love has let it be known that he would like to play alongside James for as long as he is on the Cavaliers.

Love has an option in his current Wolves contract for the 2016-17 season for $16.7 million that he could legally pick up as part of the trade. But sources say Love has been adamant about becoming a free agent in July 2015.

Via Brian Windhorst, Marc Stein/ESPN

Gannet · Post #2 » by **Gannet** » Sat Aug 9, 2014 2:06 am

No way he signs extension before seeing how the season goes. This can easily play out just like Howard in LA.

2thehoopand1 · Post #3 » by **2thehoopand1** » Sat Aug 9, 2014 2:48 am

Anything over 40 wins this season love stays making it to the playoffs would be huge for his career.

Sam195 · Post #4 » by **Sam195** » Sat Aug 9, 2014 3:10 am

Gannet wrote:No way he signs extension before seeing how the season goes. This can easily play out just like Howard in LA.

lol - love is going to resign with the cavs cause of the money (extra year) and the boast on his legacy playing alongside lebron. Howard left the lakers because kobe was selfish and the organization didn't respect him. Lakers hired d'antoni without consulting howard while d12 and his camp were vocal on getting Phil Jackson. Kevin Love is also part of that club of star players like tim duncan, chris bosh and dirk who don't seem to want attention or chase endorsements. Love was actually willing to sign a 5 year extension without opt out to his rookie deal to stay longer in minny but kahn disrespected him by saying they would save the 5 years for rubio and compromised with love on a 4 year deal with an opt out after 3. Love is leaving the wolves not because he hates the city or fanbase but because the organization is poorly managed while the team and roster suck. Similar to how kevin garnett got traded from wolves to celtics. To be honest a lot of star players would probably not be excited or avoid at all costs a trade to cleveland even if they had the opportunity to team with lebron. Love just wants to win. There was a reason lebron could not recruit any quality stars via trade or free agency early in his prime during his first stint with the cavs.

PrecociousNeoph · Post #5 » by **PrecociousNeoph** » Sat Aug 9, 2014 3:15 am

there's no reason at all for him to make any kind of agreement to resign before he's even been traded much less played a season. i think he's genuinely open to re-signing, there's really just no good reason why he would make a commitment at this point. theres nothing unusual about that and i think this is being a made a bigger deal than it actually is.

antistrat · Post #6 » by **antistrat** » Sat Aug 9, 2014 5:23 am

Gannet wrote:No way he signs extension before seeing how the season goes. This can easily play out just like Howard in LA.

Not "easily" - LeBron would have to somehow turn into someone cantankerous and selfish like Kobe for that to happen.

Gannet · Post #7 » by **Gannet** » Sat Aug 9, 2014 5:26 am

Look at all the monday morning quarterbacks. I bet NONE of you thought Dwight Howard would leave the Lakers until he did. And Lebron is plenty cantankerous and a huge primadonna -- see stories of him during the Beijing Olympics. If Love doesn't end up pulling his weight, Lebron will run him out of Cleveland and he will get his extra year via sign and trade.

Dr Music · Post #8 » by **Dr Music** » Sat Aug 9, 2014 5:28 am

I think it would awesome for the NBA to grow some balls and block this as it's obvious Lebron tampered with Love when talking to him weeks ago. Then again I doubt the NBA does block it as they didnt block the more obvious tampering the HEAT did in getting Lebron and Bosh. The NBA as it stands these days is just the basketball version of the WWE with it's scripted scenarios.

ozwizard8 · Post #9 » by **ozwizard8** » Sat Aug 9, 2014 9:44 am

Dr Music wrote:I think it would awesome for the NBA to grow some balls and block this as it's obvious Lebron tampered with Love when talking to him weeks ago. Then again I doubt the NBA does block it as they didnt block the more obvious tampering the HEAT did in getting Lebron and Bosh. The NBA as it stands these days is just the basketball version of the WWE with it's scripted scenarios.

give best team to lebron..
this is always scripted...

top 5 player in league love+last allstar mvp irving...
they also have waiters thompson like assets and bunch of ring chasing veterans...

league gives lebron best team available. they even recruit players to be with lebron... :crazy:

xJumpManx · Post #10 » by **xJumpManx** » Sat Aug 9, 2014 12:17 pm

He is not going to Laker land that place is a mess and the Clippers can not afford him.

Ballerhogger · Post #11 » by **Ballerhogger** » Sat Aug 9, 2014 4:18 pm

Gannet wrote:No way he signs extension before seeing how the season goes. This can easily play out just like Howard in LA.

It definitely could. I wonder how that would affect Bron signing extension

johnnyballgame · Post #12 » by **johnnyballgame** » Sat Aug 9, 2014 11:09 pm

Ballerhogger wrote:
Gannet wrote:No way he signs extension before seeing how the season goes. This can easily play out just like Howard in LA.

It definitely could. I wonder how that would affect Bron signing extension

Yeah, Lebron could decide to not sign an extension.
Despite just coming home. Despite writing in his letter how much the NE Ohio community meant to him. Despite standing in front of 25,000 fans in Akron who bought a ticket to one of his homecoming parties and telling them he's got no plans to ever leave again. Despite how good all that made him look and how its taken his already giant marketability and made it even greater. Despite his wife/family never wanting to leave. Despite how hypocritical leaving again would make him look and what it does to his like-ability/legacy. Despite the Cavs still having Kyrie locked up, his friend Varejao, Waiters and Thompson improving - the same team Lebron signed on with.

Despite all that - you're right - he could still opt out and leave.

I just wouldn't get your hopes up. He's going to be a Cavalier.

inquisitive · Post #13 » by **inquisitive** » Sun Aug 10, 2014 12:11 am

johnnyballgame wrote:
Ballerhogger wrote:
Gannet wrote:No way he signs extension before seeing how the season goes. This can easily play out just like Howard in LA.

It definitely could. I wonder how that would affect Bron signing extension

Yeah, Lebron could decide to not sign an extension.
Despite just coming home. Despite writing in his letter how much the NE Ohio community meant to him. Despite standing in front of 25,000 fans in Akron who bought a ticket to one of his homecoming parties and telling them he's got no plans to ever leave again. Despite how good all that made him look and how its taken his already giant marketability and made it even greater. Despite his wife/family never wanting to leave. Despite how hypocritical leaving again would make him look and what it does to his like-ability/legacy. Despite the Cavs still having Kyrie locked up, his friend Varejao, Waiters and Thompson improving - the same team Lebron signed on with.

Despite all that - you're right - he could still opt out and leave.

I just wouldn't get your hopes up. He's going to be a Cavalier.

i think this is it for lebron...he is retiring a cav...

DEEP3CL · Post #14 » by **DEEP3CL** » Sun Aug 10, 2014 4:23 am

xJumpManx wrote:He is not going to Laker land that place is a mess and the Clippers can not afford him.

Ohh please get off that 2nd grade ' that place is a mess " BS, you don't have a clue what's going on here in LA and furthermore the Lakers never gave any indication about wanting Love. Secondly many people here in LA aren't that enamored with him anyway.

shangrila · Post #15 » by **shangrila** » Sun Aug 10, 2014 9:23 am

DEEP3CL wrote:
xJumpManx wrote:He is not going to Laker land that place is a mess and the Clippers can not afford him.
Ohh please get off that 2nd grade ' that place is a mess " BS, you don't have a clue what's going on here in LA and furthermore the Lakers never gave any indication about wanting Love. Secondly many people here in LA aren't that enamored with him anyway.

You can't have him so now you never wanted him, classic.

DEEP3CL · Post #16 » by **DEEP3CL** » Sun Aug 10, 2014 3:55 pm

shangrila wrote:
DEEP3CL wrote:
xJumpManx wrote:He is not going to Laker land that place is a mess and the Clippers can not afford him.
Ohh please get off that 2nd grade ' that place is a mess " BS, you don't have a clue what's going on here in LA and furthermore the Lakers never gave any indication about wanting Love. Secondly many people here in LA aren't that enamored with him anyway.

You can't have him so now you never wanted him, classic.

It's not classic, it's idiotic for anybody to think all fans of a team think the same.....geez now that's what's classic.

IkeDoIt · Post #17 » by **IkeDoIt** » Sun Aug 10, 2014 5:56 pm

"No Deal In Place for a New Contract"
Well Love is saying that he wants to play with LeBron for as long as he remains a Cav. LeBron publicly states that he wants to remain a Cav for the rest of his career. Love also stated that Cleveland was the only place he'd sign an extention for, but backtracked on that as soon as he heard there could be ramifications for that statement.
If the NBA found a way to block the CP3 to Lakers trade in 2011, this trade should be vetoed as well. BUT we all know how much the NBA loves LeBron

shangrila · Post #18 » by **shangrila** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 1:34 am

DEEP3CL wrote:It's not classic, it's idiotic for anybody to think all fans of a team think the same.....geez now that's what's classic.

Saying "well I never wanted them in the first place" is actually a classic self defence mechanism for rejection.

It's stupid to think your team has swung and missed on, well, everyone the last few seasons. They're a mess and nobody wants to go there. Admit it and move on, no harm no foul.

DEEP3CL · Post #19 » by **DEEP3CL** » Tue Aug 12, 2014 12:48 am

shangrila wrote:
DEEP3CL wrote:It's not classic, it's idiotic for anybody to think all fans of a team think the same.....geez now that's what's classic.

Saying "well I never wanted them in the first place" is actually a classic self defence mechanism for rejection.

It's stupid to think your team has swung and missed on, well, everyone the last few seasons. They're a mess and nobody wants to go there. Admit it and move on, no harm no foul.

You're straight up delusional....where in hell did you ever see the word " I " in my postings ?..... quit with the I interpret things how I want. And you're delusional again if you think guys don't want to come here, it's actually the players of your young generation that want to play only on ready made teams. Quit with the "mess" BS it's old and tired, it's way more teams that fit that bill before the Lakers. Grow up because it's obvious you've only been watching ball for about maybe the last 10 years if that.