ESPN Boston’s Jackie MacMullan is reporting what most of us already know. Kevin Love wants out of Minnesota, and definitely would consider the Boston Celtics as a long-term option.
Love is under contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves for another season, so he’s not a free agent, but when the bruising All-Star was spotted lounging in the Fenway stands, hangin‘ with Rajon Rondo and sipping Sam Adams, it led to wildly hopeful speculation that Love would not only welcome a trade to the Boston Celtics, he would be willing to sign an extension that would enable him to roam the parquet alongside Rondo for years to come, the way Kevin Garnett once did.
In fact, team and league sources confirm, that’s a scenario that Love is willing to consider.
Love can become a free agent after next season, and despite any changes the Timberwolves choose to make, he’s made it clear that he wants out.
The Timberwolves reportedly had no interest in moving Love until after they hired a coach. Team president Flip Saunders named himself coach on Thursday, so the Love to whomever speculation can now really heat up.
According to MacMullan, the Timberwolves feel like they can get better offers for Love than what the Celtics are offering.
The Timberwolves privately maintain they already have fielded better offers from other teams, among them the Chicago Bulls, who can offer draft picks and some combination of Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson along with Carlos Boozer, whose bloated $16.8 million contract expires next summer and represents the kind of cap space rebuilding teams crave.