The Kevin Love Thread: Update PG. 67, 78

[Chitownbulls]

From the Minny board and Flip Saunders press conference:

Two things:

-Flip said we need to get much better defensively.
-Flip talked about setting a good foundation.

To me, I think the Chicago offer is in the lead because it definitely satisfies both needs better than any other offer could.

No, the top-end guys might not be there, but by setting the foundation in the trade, it allows us to take chances on high upside rather than the need to focus on BPA because you're too scared to miss on a pick.

If defense is a priority - the Chicago offer of Gibson and Butler certainly trumps all others.

Taj + Jimmy + MDJ + #16 & #19 for Love

CHI Gets: Melo
NYK Gets: TPE & Mirotic
PHI Gets: Boozer + SAC Pick + Rights to swap with CLE

F Melo
F Love
C Noah
G Snell
G Rose
Bench: Hinrich, Smith, MLE, BAE, Vet Min

This is it right here.... And you better believe someone will come here to play starting sg. Mid Level Kaman, everything else is guards and wings that can shoot.

[dice]

in any normal year that minny team is in the playoffs and the knicks aren't close

LOl what? Minny finished the year with 40 wins and eight games out of a playoff spot and 10th in their conference. They weren't close in any sort of historical way to being a playoff team.

they were an above average team in a brutal conference

and yes, above average teams usually make the playoffs

LOLROFLCOPTERFYIBYOB

[TheStig]

Ok, but can you just answer this with a yes or no: is Melo still the ultimate goal for the FO right now?

EDIT: And I probably won't be able to watch the draft - I'm on vacation in Europe and will still be on draft night, no way to watch but streaming and my internet access is paid by bandwidth, so I'll probably just have to settle for following the draft via here and nbadraft.net and draftxpress and espn.com(that stuff is fine, just video streaming kills bandwidth). Probably won't get to watch any of the finals either for the same reason.

I do not know the answer to that question. Please don't consider me a source by any stretch of the imagination.

Fish, we need to get you one of these to get through these tough rumors.


And then one of these to give Love some love.

[ChiCitySPORTS#1]

It kind of sucks that Rose because of injury seems like the weakest link outside of who is at SG. Hopefully he can get his **** together, my goodness Derrick please!!

[coldfish]

Ok, but can you just answer this with a yes or no: is Melo still the ultimate goal for the FO right now?

EDIT: And I probably won't be able to watch the draft - I'm on vacation in Europe and will still be on draft night, no way to watch but streaming and my internet access is paid by bandwidth, so I'll probably just have to settle for following the draft via here and nbadraft.net and draftxpress and espn.com(that stuff is fine, just video streaming kills bandwidth). Probably won't get to watch any of the finals either for the same reason.

I do not know the answer to that question. Please don't consider me a source by any stretch of the imagination.

Fish, we need to get you one of these to get through these tough rumors.


And then one of these to give Love some love.

Lol. More like beer . . . and then more beer.

[bad knees]

From the Minny board and Flip Saunders press conference:

Two things:

-Flip said we need to get much better defensively.
-Flip talked about setting a good foundation.

To me, I think the Chicago offer is in the lead because it definitely satisfies both needs better than any other offer could.

No, the top-end guys might not be there, but by setting the foundation in the trade, it allows us to take chances on high upside rather than the need to focus on BPA because you're too scared to miss on a pick.

If defense is a priority - the Chicago offer of Gibson and Butler certainly trumps all others.

Taj + Jimmy + MDJ + #16 & #19 for Love

CHI Gets: Melo
NYK Gets: TPE & Mirotic
PHI Gets: Boozer + SAC Pick + Rights to swap with CLE

F Melo
F Love
C Noah
G Snell
G Rose
Bench: Hinrich, Smith, MLE, BAE, Vet Min

That, my friends, is a thing of beauty. The Love deal would have to be a handshake deal at the time of the draft, so the Bulls could draft 16 and 19 for Minn, and then also trade their 2015 pick to Philly in the Melo deal.

The challenge - as soon as we agree to a Love deal, even a handshake deal, we lose the ability to threaten the Knicks with the possibility of signing Melo as an FA. As a result, NY's price in a Melo S&T deal would go up, big time.

It would be so much better for the Bulls if they could do Melo first - threaten an FA signing then negotiate the above S&T deal. Then do the Love deal. If only the NBA were logical like the NFL and did the FA period first, then the draft.

[BullsNumber1Fan]

Ok, but can you just answer this with a yes or no: is Melo still the ultimate goal for the FO right now?

EDIT: And I probably won't be able to watch the draft - I'm on vacation in Europe and will still be on draft night, no way to watch but streaming and my internet access is paid by bandwidth, so I'll probably just have to settle for following the draft via here and nbadraft.net and draftxpress and espn.com(that stuff is fine, just video streaming kills bandwidth). Probably won't get to watch any of the finals either for the same reason.

I do not know the answer to that question. Please don't consider me a source by any stretch of the imagination.

My only question for you coldfish is have you heard any exact rumors as to player getting traded to make you feel how you do?

[DanTown8587]

in any normal year that minny team is in the playoffs and the knicks aren't close

LOl what? Minny finished the year with 40 wins and eight games out of a playoff spot and 10th in their conference. They weren't close in any sort of historical way to being a playoff team.

they were an above average team in a brutal conference

and yes, above average teams usually make the playoffs

LOLROFLCOPTERFYIBYOB

Classic Dice argument. What part of them was above average? The less than average 40 wins? The less than average 10th place finish?

[kyrv]

I think you kind of have to throw out wins of lone stars when you are combining stars.

Barkley, Bosh, Melo, Pierce, Love, to name a few, had less than great success alone.

But they would be added to Rose, Noah, and Thibs, not to mention Mike James and Kurt Hinrich.

[PMONSTER]

What are people willing to trade for Love without a guarantee he'll stay?

I'll happily trade Butler and Gibson

[TheStig]

Lol. More like beer . . . and then more beer.

I think we have a great opportunity here. To me being overly aggressive to get Love might mean Melo is already in the bag.

If you trade Gibson, MDJ, Butler, Unguarnteeds, #19, Sac Pick for Love and Brewer and then follow it up with Boozer, Nazr on a bogans deal, Mirotic, #16, future 1st for Melo.

Then you start Rose, Brewer, Melo, Love and Noah and still have the MLE, BAE and Kirk to fill out the bench.

[Payt10]

Problem with acquiring both is that the Bulls would lose their sign and trade leverage with NY.

[kyrv]

Brian Windhurst just said Flip said 16 teams have made offers for Love. Not called or shown interest, actual offers. I find that hard to believe.

[mrlancers]

If only the NBA were logical like the NFL and did the FA period first, then the draft.

If I was the commissioner, this would be the first move I make. These trades are so needlessly complicated because the salary cap resets after the draft instead of before. Just do what the NFL did and push the draft back about a month. Keep everything else in the same timeframe.

[dice]

LOl what? Minny finished the year with 40 wins and eight games out of a playoff spot and 10th in their conference. They weren't close in any sort of historical way to being a playoff team.

they were an above average team in a brutal conference

and yes, above average teams usually make the playoffs

LOLROFLCOPTERFYIBYOB

Classic Dice argument. What part of them was above average? The less than average 40 wins? The less than average 10th place finish?

the truth is indeed a classic dice argument

how about the quality of their basketball team? that was certainly above average. and that's what i'm referencing. just their record was more impressive than half the eastern playoff teams given strength of schedule. and their point differential (the truest indicator of quality) was better than the bulls despite much tougher schedule

[OldSchoolNoBull]

Lol. More like beer . . . and then more beer.

I think we have a great opportunity here. To me being overly aggressive to get Love might mean Melo is already in the bag.

If you trade Gibson, MDJ, Butler, Unguarnteeds, #19, Sac Pick for Love and Brewer and then follow it up with Boozer, Nazr on a bogans deal, Mirotic, #16, future 1st for Melo.

Then you start Rose, Brewer, Melo, Love and Noah and still have the MLE, BAE and Kirk to fill out the bench.

As long as we're dreaming, imagine if, in that scenario, Gasol agreed to take the MLE and come off the bench in order to play in a great situation...and then get Pierce on the BAE...

Noah(35)/Gasol(13)/Smith
Love(35)/Gasol(13)
Melo(38)/Pierce(10)
C.Brewer(25)/Pierce(10)/Snell(13)
Rose(32)/Hinrich(16)

[TheStig]

Lol. More like beer . . . and then more beer.

I think we have a great opportunity here. To me being overly aggressive to get Love might mean Melo is already in the bag.

If you trade Gibson, MDJ, Butler, Unguarnteeds, #19, Sac Pick for Love and Brewer and then follow it up with Boozer, Nazr on a bogans deal, Mirotic, #16, future 1st for Melo.

Then you start Rose, Brewer, Melo, Love and Noah and still have the MLE, BAE and Kirk to fill out the bench.

As long as we're dreaming, imagine if, in that scenario, Gasol agreed to take the MLE and come off the bench in order to play in a great situation...and then get Pierce on the BAE...

Noah(35)/Gasol(13)/Smith
Love(35)/Gasol(13)
Melo(38)/Pierce(10)
C.Brewer(25)/Pierce(10)/Snell(13)
Rose(32)/Hinrich(16)

The assets are there to make big moves. Look at the Heat, they all made sacrifices and plans to be together. Don't say its not possible.

[Chi town]

Brian Windhurst just said Flip said 16 teams have made offers for Love. Not called or shown interest, actual offers. I find that hard to believe.

I'm wondering why everyone hasn't made an offer.


He will get moved on draft night or he will get moved for pennies on the dollar at the deadline.

[OldSchoolNoBull]

I think we have a great opportunity here. To me being overly aggressive to get Love might mean Melo is already in the bag.

If you trade Gibson, MDJ, Butler, Unguarnteeds, #19, Sac Pick for Love and Brewer and then follow it up with Boozer, Nazr on a bogans deal, Mirotic, #16, future 1st for Melo.

Then you start Rose, Brewer, Melo, Love and Noah and still have the MLE, BAE and Kirk to fill out the bench.

As long as we're dreaming, imagine if, in that scenario, Gasol agreed to take the MLE and come off the bench in order to play in a great situation...and then get Pierce on the BAE...

Noah(35)/Gasol(13)/Smith
Love(35)/Gasol(13)
Melo(38)/Pierce(10)
C.Brewer(25)/Pierce(10)/Snell(13)
Rose(32)/Hinrich(16)

The assets are there to make big moves. Look at the Heat, they all made sacrifices and plans to be together. Don't say its not possible.

I'm not saying it's not possible. I'd love for it to happen. But there are differences between our situation and the Heat's situation - all three guys were FA and the Heat had cap space for all of them. But yeah, I wasn't saying 'as long as we're dreaming' in a 'it won't happen' kind of way, I was saying it in a, 'let's have some fun' kind of way.

[TheStig]

As long as we're dreaming, imagine if, in that scenario, Gasol agreed to take the MLE and come off the bench in order to play in a great situation...and then get Pierce on the BAE...

Noah(35)/Gasol(13)/Smith
Love(35)/Gasol(13)
Melo(38)/Pierce(10)
C.Brewer(25)/Pierce(10)/Snell(13)
Rose(32)/Hinrich(16)

The assets are there to make big moves. Look at the Heat, they all made sacrifices and plans to be together. Don't say its not possible.

I'm not saying it's not possible. I'd love for it to happen. But there are differences between our situation and the Heat's situation - all three guys were FA and the Heat had cap space for all of them. But yeah, I wasn't saying 'as long as we're dreaming' in a 'it won't happen' kind of way, I was saying it in a, 'let's have some fun' kind of way.

I think its likely we get one. I just think getting one puts us in a good spot to get both. Its not likely to get both but realistically Love would be the first to fall and if Melo is leaving then Rose, Love, Noah and Thibs is a good bunch to join.

I just don't think Phil wants Melo. And if you get Love, you can make something happen. I just don't think Love is likely to move before FA.