Taylor would prefer not to trade Love, naturally. (USATSI)
More Offseason Analysis: Coaching changes, news | Free Agency | Draft
Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor has backed down from the stance that the team absolutely would not trade Kevin Love, but he is trying to downplay all the rumors surrounding his superstar, via the St. Paul Pioneer Press' Charley Walters:
Asked Monday if he would say he's not going to trade Love, Taylor said, "I should never say never because who knows what might come up? But that's not our plan.
"I'm not in a position where you would say absolutely I wouldn't do it, because what if something that I can't even speculate (on) happens? You'd say, 'You're nuts, Glen.' Maybe some team puts a value on him that's different than we suspect."
…
"At this point, we're not talking to any teams," Taylor said. "I haven't heard from Kevin or his agents or anything like that. We're assuming that Kevin will be here next season, and we're working with that scenario. This isn't the time for us to do anything but to prepare for next year.
Taylor said it's been "difficult" to deal with all of the speculation about Love's future. He added that Wolves president Flip Saunders is focused on the upcoming draft and finding a head coach to replace Rick Adelman.
Contrary to these comments, Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Love's representatives are "pushing" Saunders to find an acceptable trade before free agency begins in July.
While it might be true that Minnesota would prefer not to trade Love, Taylor's initial shift to "not by the draft" seems more significant than anything he's said since. There's going to be damage control in any scenario like this one, and there's no bigger off-court story than Love right now. After Tuesday's lottery, new offers will be on the table, and regardless of what the Wolves are saying, they have to listen.
Basketball Hot News
Lottery hands Cleveland Cavaliers No. 1 pick in NBA Draft. Again.
It’s on new GM David Griffin not to blow this one.
For the second year in a row the Cleveland Cavaliers have won the NBA Draft Lottery and will select No. 1 in the upcoming NBA Draft (June 26). The Cavaliers won the lottery with the ninth-best odds — they had a 1.7 percent chance of getting the top pick. But the basketball gods like them. The Milwaukee Bucks will draft No. 2, the Philadelphia 76ers third.
All are assured a top flight player — likely one of Joel Embiid, Andrew Wiggins or Jabari Parker. At least so long as Griffin doesn’t go off the rails with his pick like his predecessor.
This is the third time the Cavaliers will select No. 1 since LeBron James left them for Miami (the past four years). That’s a lot of Karma (and they didn’t need Dan Gilbert’s son Nick on the podium this year, it was Griffin).
The Cavs had the top pick last year and in a down draft then GM Chris Grant surprised everyone by selecting Anthony Bennett of UNLV, a guy who was injured and was already considered a project. He had just about as bad a rookie year one could have, with a PER of 1.1 midway through the season that climbed all the way up to a “not sure this guy lasts in the D-League” 6.9 by the end of the season.
But they have some interesting pieces, starting with Kyrie Irving (who will get a max contract extension this summer and he will sign it). Guys like Dion Waiters and Tristan Thompson can be rotation players. This might spur Luol Deng or Spencer Hawes, two free agents, to consider staying. The Cavs have an open coaching vacancy that just got a lot more attractive.
The biggest loser with the Cavaliers leapfrogging everyone is the Detroit Pistons — by falling one spot from the No. 8 slot their pick goes to the Charlotte Bobcats, part of the Ben Gordon-Corey Maggette trade. Stan Van Gundy did not bring the Pistons luck.
Here is the first round draft order for the 2014 NBA Draft.
1. Cleveland
2. Milwaukee
3. Philadelphia
4. Orlando
5. Utah
6. Boston
7. Los Angeles Lakers
8. Sacramento
9. Charlotte (via Detroit)
10. Philadelphia (via New Orleans)
11. Denver
12. Orlando (from New York via Denver)
13. Minnesota
14. Phoenix
The rest of the draft (non-lottery):
15. Atlanta
16. Chicago (via Charlotte)
17. Boston (via Brooklyn
18. Phoenix (via Washington)
19. Chicago
20. Toronto
21. Oklahoma City (via Dallas, Houston and LA Lakers)
22. Memphis
23. Utah (via Golden State)
24. Charlotte (via Portland)
25. Houston
26. Miami
27. Phoenix (via Indiana)
28. LA Clippers
29. Oklahoma City
30. San Antonio
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