Saunders Hadn't Given Up On Re-Signing Love Before Wiggins' Trade

[RealGM Wiretap]

Flip Saunders was entirely prepared to keep Kevin Love as he entered free agency in 2015 until the Cleveland Cavaliers approached the Minnesota Timberwolves with the Andrew Wiggins' trade.

"I didn’t have a problem keeping Kevin into the final year of his deal and coaching him," said Saunders. "Guys just don’t turn down the extra year and $30 million. Even though he maybe wanted to leave, I thought we still had an opportunity to re-sign him. When you are patient, you can say, “This is what we need to get something done, and if we don’t get it, we’re keeping him.”

Then things kind of fell into place, with LeBron going to Cleveland and [Andrew] Wiggins becoming available. That’s when you can say 'lucky'."

Love had an uneven first season with the Cavaliers, but he decided to re-sign on a five-year deal.

"No, it wasn’t (bluster)," said Saunders. "People thought it was. Thoughts might have changed when I announced I would coach. Because what coach wouldn’t want to coach a guy who was All-NBA? Coaches want to win that night. I’m in a unique situation, because as the coach, I live in the present, but as the GM, I look into the future. I try to steer both courses. But people believed I would coach the guy."

Via Zach Lowe/Grantland

[Rated T By CBRA]

Does he still have hope on re-signing Love?!

[miltk]

minnie had 16 awesome wins.
lavine and wiggs may be fun to watch but,,,,,25wins at most

[Raps Maniac]

minnie had 16 awesome wins.
lavine and wiggs may be fun to watch but,,,,,25wins at most

Yeah... its called rebuilding. You expect a team with the rookie as their best player to make the playoffs?

[nba2k16]

minnie had 16 awesome wins.
lavine and wiggs may be fun to watch but,,,,,25wins at most

Yeah... its called rebuilding. You expect a team with the rookie as their best player to make the playoffs?

Its sad that in today's NBA tanking is respected more than winning.

[DeadHorse]

Minny would be in a much worse position had they not traded for Wiggins

[Sam195]

Minny would be in a much worse position had they not traded for Wiggins

We are going to have a good idea who won this trade next season. Both Love and Wiggins are under contract with their team for at least the next 4 seasons (Love signed 5 years 113M with opt out - Wiggins has 3 years on his rookie deal and a QO he has to pick up to hit ufa status the fastest but he may choose more security and sign an extension in sota). Love is going to be motivated to fit in with Lebron and Kyrie next season or risk losing his starting gig to Tristan Thompson and than possibly be shopped somewhere via trade. Wiggins really wants to make the asg game next season as it is happening in his hometown - Toronto 2016 and may be the only time in his career the event takes place there. Wiggins will need to put up monster #s and play elite level D to crack the Western Conference squad as a wing player. Right now Sota looks like they may win this trade in a landslide if Wiggins has the big year many are hoping for - Love on the other hand will always be a subpar defender and excel offensively only as 1 or 1A option not as the third wheel with the cavs.

[DeadHorse]

Minny would be in a much worse position had they not traded for Wiggins

We are going to have a good idea who won this trade next season. Both Love and Wiggins are under contract with their team for at least the next 4 seasons (Love signed 5 years 113M with opt out - Wiggins has 3 years on his rookie deal and a QO he has to pick up to hit ufa status the fastest but he may choose more security and sign an extension in sota). Love is going to be motivated to fit in with Lebron and Kyrie next season or risk losing his starting gig to Tristan Thompson and than possibly be shopped somewhere via trade. Wiggins really wants to make the asg game next season as it is happening in his hometown - Toronto 2016 and may be the only time in his career the event takes place there. Wiggins will need to put up monster #s and play elite level D to crack the Western Conference squad as a wing player. Right now Sota looks like they may win this trade in a landslide if Wiggins has the big year many are hoping for - Love on the other hand will always be a subpar defender and excel offensively only as 1 or 1A option not as the third wheel with the cavs.

Love would have left for sure though, after a middling season with the T-Wolves meaning that they would've surely missed out on Towns as well. It's not even Wiggins Vs Love... It's more like Wiggins And Towns Vs. A Late lotto pick

[nba2k16]

Minny would be in a much worse position had they not traded for Wiggins

We are going to have a good idea who won this trade next season. Both Love and Wiggins are under contract with their team for at least the next 4 seasons (Love signed 5 years 113M with opt out - Wiggins has 3 years on his rookie deal and a QO he has to pick up to hit ufa status the fastest but he may choose more security and sign an extension in sota). Love is going to be motivated to fit in with Lebron and Kyrie next season or risk losing his starting gig to Tristan Thompson and than possibly be shopped somewhere via trade. Wiggins really wants to make the asg game next season as it is happening in his hometown - Toronto 2016 and may be the only time in his career the event takes place there. Wiggins will need to put up monster #s and play elite level D to crack the Western Conference squad as a wing player. Right now Sota looks like they may win this trade in a landslide if Wiggins has the big year many are hoping for - Love on the other hand will always be a subpar defender and excel offensively only as 1 or 1A option not as the third wheel with the cavs.

Love would have left for sure though, after a middling season with the T-Wolves meaning that they would've surely missed out on Towns as well. It's not even Wiggins Vs Love... It's more like Wiggins And Towns Vs. A Late lotto pick

Wolves won the trade by a landslide. The trade made sense for the Cavs given what they are trying to do but ultimately the Wolves got a generational talent 1st overall pick for a star player that was going to leave anyway. Not to mention getting Wiggins too and a pick that eventually turned into Kevin Garnett

[Note30]

minnie had 16 awesome wins.
lavine and wiggs may be fun to watch but,,,,,25wins at most

Yeah... its called rebuilding. You expect a team with the rookie as their best player to make the playoffs?

Its sad that in today's NBA tanking is respected more than winning.

The Stupidity is strong in this one.