Kevin Love Virtually No Chance Of Return For Playoffs

Well, that sucks for Love.

 

I have nothing against KLove (despite not feeling he's a max player or a piece you build around), but I'll be honest: I'm happy this hurts Cleveland's chances.

They'll regret the day they traded Wiggins.

Anyway, hope he heals 100%.

 

I definitely think he's a strong 2 or 3. I have no problem with that. I think he'll want max money and a team built around him. I hope I'm wrong.

 

When does the new cap kick in? I don't know a lot about it, but heard the cap could double (sounds crazy to me).

 

Yeah it's within a year. There's buzz that a lot of players will take one-year option contracts this summer to try to make the big bucks next summer when the cap explodes. I don't think it'll go exactly as they all plan, but certainly the Lakers will be willing buyers in the market.

By the way (again depending on who we draft), I don't think we're going to play for Conley. At that point we'll either have paid Jordan Clarkson or traded him for another asset. At this point I'm inclined to think he's our starting PG (or SG if things switch up a little) for the future.

If we draft a Guard or a Center, you better believe the entire city of LA is going to bend over backwards for Durant next summer. Draft a big man or a guard, patch up the SF rotation for another year, then next summer back up the trucks of cash, the commercials, the endorsements, the movies, the business ventures, the weather, and the women on Durant's doorstep.

 

Sucks for him, but Cleveland is fine. Washington can't be trusted, Chicago can't even finish off Milwuakee, and the top seed Atlanta is even with freakin Brooklyn. They could probably make the finals without Irving in this east. Winning the finals is another story though. Go Warriors/Grizzlies!

 

I heard some good points on I think ESPN this morning though, Noah's knee isn't great, and Cleveland can go small and make him less effective. Also, Mirotic has his knee injury now, Pau never plays defense, their size isn't as big an advantage as it seems IMO. As for Washington, I don't trust them still, not sure what the best analogy is here, but the clock can strike midnight anytime and he can turn back into a pumpkin, or he'll run out of that fountain of youth water at some point. Like I said a month or so into the season, I never trust Toronto, Atlanta, or Washington, they have no real star and when LeBron comes up against them it shows. Toronto proved me right, now we'll see what Washington and Atlanta have.

 

They can't beat GSW. Or Memphis. Or the Spurs.

 

Does anyone think Love may give the Knicks a hard look? Knicks will be at 32 million right now. Add 5 million for their pick. 37 million. Knicks could max out Love, draft Okafor and throw all their remaining cash (about 8-9 million with cap holds) at a pretty good sg. What about Afflalo? Knicks starting 5 next season:

Okafor
Love
Melo
Afflalo
Calderon

Not to bad. That could do some damage in the East.

 

I'm not sure he'll opt in. If I were him, I'd opt out and take a long-term deal worth less than max money. If he opts in and hurts himself again he gets even less money next summer, maybe none at all if it's a career threatening injury. He's not old, but he's got a history of hurting himself.

The analytics are great for him right now and there's a good chance he still nails down a 60-70 million dollar deal. Say he opts in and takes his 16+ million. Then next season he gets hurt and is reduced to having to settle for a 4/40 million dollar deal or something even less. He's lost money.

It makes more sense for him to get out, go to LA or NY for a fair price, and then rely on the market to boost his overall worth.

 

Not for an oft injured player it isn't. Love hasn't played a full season once in his entire career. The closest he came was as a rookie when he played mostly off the bench. Admittedly he will play through minor dings, but he's also had some fairly significant injuries. Will he bounce back from this? Entirely possible.

But when you're in a city you don't like, on a team you don't like, getting blamed for everything, getting labelled as a malcontent, knowing one of LeBron's cronies is right behind you so they don't mind pushing you out, playing a style of game you don't want... By the way there's a city you're familiar with already, where your significant other lives, where you have a home, and with a stronger history of success... Why wouldn't you want to leave?

At worst you're sacrificing a bit of money. At best you're protecting yourself from potential loss. Monroe was a younger player with almost no history of injury, betting on himself made way more sense. When there's a situation that you can enjoy while protecting yourself and still make a TON of money...

It makes much more sense to opt out and sign with LA if there's any indication we'll have him.