Bulls and Warriors had previously been linked with an interest…
The Minnesota Timberwolves are reportedly only engaged in discussions with the Cleveland Cavaliers for power forward Kevin Love, according to ESPN.
It has been reported that both the Chicago Bulls and Golden State Warriors have become pessimistic over their chances of signing Love, with the Cavs understood to be willing to include No.1 overall pick in the 2014 Draft, Andrew Wiggins, in the deal.
Chicago would have to sacrifice much of their depth to land Love, while Golden State have refused to lose Klay Thompson as part of the deal with Minnesota.
Nevertheless, it is unlikely that a resolution will be reached in the immediate future after Wiggins signed his rookie contract last week which means that he is ineligible to be traded until August 23.
Meanwhile, Love will not be part of the Team USA training camp this week due to the on-going talks over his future, and it is understood that LeBron James is keen on being paired with his compatriot given their ability to compliment each other’s games so well.
Bulls general manager Gar Forman conceded on Wednesday that he wouldn’t rule out another trade deal before the season starts, but ultimately they are happy with adding Pau Gasol, Nikola Mirotic and Doug McDermott this summer and they would not be willing to lose those new pieces.
As a result, it is likely that Cleveland will eventually land their target as negotiations continue, with suggestions that Anthony Bennett and a future first-round pick will also be included in the deal.
Elsewhere, Minnesota have reportedly begun exploring their options in acquiring Thaddeus Young from the Philadelphia 76ers as a replacement for Love, while veteran guard Mo Williams joined the team this week which would suggest that the franchise are looking to offload J.J. Barea to give themselves more financial flexibility.
Love is expected to opt for free agency after next season, and as a result if the Timberwolves believe that they have no chance of convincing him to stay on, then they are unsurprisingly looking for the best deal out there for themselves this summer.
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