Kevin Love Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Love, Knicks, Turner, Butler

June 6th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by ChrisCrouse

If the Cavaliers are going to make a major change this offseason, it’ll be Kevin Love on the trading block, reports Chris Mannix of The Vertical. “If they go out like this, I’m betting on a Kevin Love auction,” one league executive tells Mannix. Love had just five points in 21 minutes during Sunday night’s blowout loss to the Warriors.

Here’s more from around the league:

The Knicks are rumored to have interest in Evan Turner and Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders hears that the interest in mutual (Twitter link). Turner will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Bulls forward Jimmy Butler has a strong desire to play in the Olympics despite hearing about all the players who will sit out, Vincent Goodwill of Comcast Sportsnet tweets.
Nick Minnerath has worked out for the Clippers, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders tweets. Minnerath, who formerly played for the Canton Charge of the D-League, will also attend free agent mini-camps with the Pistons and Mavs later this month.

Central Notes: Van Gundy, Turner, Love

April 28th, 2016 at 8:26pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said his team is in good shape heading into free agency because the roster has but a few holes needing attention, though he did add that he wouldn’t be opposed to adding a starter via free agency and moving a player to the bench, as Rod Beard of The Detroit News relays in a series of tweets. “We’re reasonably confident we can keep that core together going forward,” Van Gundy said. “It will take some things falling in place.” While the team will consider bringing back unrestricted free agents Steve Blake and Anthony Tolliver, Van Gundy indicated that the Pistons have more pressing priorities to take care of first, the scribe relays. The Pistons aren’t opposed to trading their first-round pick this year if it would help them land the right player in a deal, according to GM Jeff Bower, Beard adds.

Here’s more from the Central Division:

The loss of Paul George for all but six games of the 2014/15 season placed the Pacers in the position to land Myles Turner in the 2015 NBA Draft, and he’s outperformed a number of those selected ahead of him last June, notes Mike DeCourcy of The Sporting News. Turner, the No. 11 overall pick, appeared in 60 games and averaged 10.3 points and 5.5 rebounds in 22.8 minutes per outing on the season.
Cavs power forward Kevin Love‘s stats have declined, as well as his perceived value around the league, since he arrived in Cleveland, but the big man insists he is still an All-Star caliber performer, writes Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal. “I don’t need to justify what I’m capable of,” Love said. “Kind of the same thing with All-Star, too. I don’t need that to justify how I feel about my game and where I think my value is in this league. I know what I’m capable of. I’m willing to show it.”
Former Cavs coach David Blatt received a strong endorsement from Tyronn Lue, the man who replaced him, to land another NBA coaching gig, Lloyd relays in the same article. “He definitely deserves another chance,” Lue said. “I thought Coach Blatt did a great and phenomenal job here. He taught me a lot. Just being friends with him and getting a chance to understand him was great for me. I know a lot of guys around here, we talked about it the other day, they miss him and his presence. I would just like to keep in contact with him. Hopefully, he gets another job in this league because he deserves it.” Blatt reportedly interviewed for the Knicks vacant post this week and the Lakers reportedly plan to interview him for their head coaching job, too.

Northwest Notes: Love, Mohammed, Huestis, Blazers

April 3rd, 2016 at 9:42am CST by Arthur Hill

If the Cavaliers decide to break up their team this summer, Denver could be a good landing spot for Kevin Love, according to Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post. Dealing the 6’10” power forward, who is owed $93MM over the next four seasons, would ease the salary and luxury tax burdens that Cleveland has accepted in search of a title. Dempsey believes the Nuggets have the right combination of draft picks and young players to make a deal possible, citing rookie point guard Emmanuel Mudiay and rookie center Nikola Jokic as the only untouchable players on the roster. The writer notes that Love would be the star player Denver is searching for, while the Cavs could pick up some young pieces who fit better into coach Tyronn Lue’s up-tempo style.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

It’s no coincidence that the Thunder started to improve right after Nazr Mohammed arrived, writes Erik Horne of The Oklahoman. Oklahoma City had dropped six of eight games before signing the veteran center on March 5th. Even though he has only seen 10 minutes of playing time, the Thunder’s record since the move is 11-3. Mohammed, who was with OKC once before and maintained close relationships with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, downplays the effect of his leadership on the team. “They were gonna make strides in that direction no matter what,” he said. “I can’t take any credit for it.”
Josh Huestis, who has made 15 trips to the D-League this year, may get some meaningful minutes for the Thunder before the season ends, Horne writes in a separate story. Oklahoma City has four games in the next seven days and is virtually assured of the third spot in the Western Conference. “In all reality, Josh hasn’t been in the rotation the entire year,” said coach Billy Donovan. “He got the opportunity in Detroit [when Huestis played 15 minutes], but there could be some opportunities down the road. He did some nice things against Detroit and showed some signs he can be a good player.”
Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum should form the foundation of the Blazers for years to come, writes Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. The 25-year-old Lillard and the 24-year-old McCollum have already become one of the league’s best backcourts. Portland gave Lillard a five-year extension last summer, while McCollum is still on his rookie contract and is signed through next season.

Central Notes: LeBron, Love, Carter-Williams, Bulls

March 29th, 2016 at 9:46am CST by Chuck Myron

The Cavs are confident LeBron James won’t leave in free agency again, but they understand that at least a slight chance exists that he would if they once more come up short in the postseason, writes Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. James “lashed out” at his teammates during the players-only meeting that followed the firing of David Blatt, sources told Lowe, and many in the Cavs brass have kept a nervous eye on the signs of discontent that James has shown on the court. The four-time MVP has the power to press for changes. Lowe confirms that the Cavs and Celtics spoke about Kevin Love before last month’s trade deadline but hears the Celtics made a lowball offer. The ESPN scribe believes chances are strong that Cleveland will trade Love if the team doesn’t deliver in the playoffs, underscoring the unusual level of concern surrounding a team poised to grab the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

See more from the Central Division:

It’s a key summer for the development Michael Carter-Williams, Bucks coach Jason Kidd argues, but Kidd maintains his faith in the former Rookie of the Year, as Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel details. Carter-Williams, who’s out for the season with a torn labrum in his left hip, will be eligible to sign a rookie scale extension from July through October. “Michael is able to guard the point,” Kidd said. “Giannis [Antetokounmpo] isn’t going to guard the point. You’ve got to have a small on the floor. With Michael being able to work on his jump shot and become consistent, it only makes us better.”
Bulls GM Gar Forman and executive VP of basketball operations John Paxson know they need to change the roster this summer, and owner Jerry Reinsdorf seems inclined to empower them to do so, writes Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. Still, Friedell takes Forman and Paxson to task for failing to see the fissures in this group of players last year and for a coaching change that hasn’t panned out. The Bulls, who held a team meeting Sunday, have lost four in a row and are two games in the loss column behind the Pistons for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Cavs GM David Griffin is at fault for failing to put someone in the locker room who can hold LeBron accountable, at least to a degree, but the superstar is ultimately worth all the angst, contends TNT’s David Aldridge in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com.

Central Rumors: Motiejunas, Novak, Love

February 22nd, 2016 at 7:53pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy doesn’t regret making the trade deadline acquisition of Rockets power forward Donatas Motiejunas, even though the team voided the three-team deal on Monday because of concerns over Motiejunas’ health, David Mayo of MLive.com reports. Motiejunas, who underwent back surgery after last season, failed physical exams conducted in New York and Detroit, Mayo continues. “I would do it over again, if it were out there,” Van Gundy told the team’s beat reporters. “We did our due diligence and just thought there was too much risk.” The Pistons have an open roster spot and will comb through the waiver wire, as well as consider D-League prospects, to add depth at power forward. The club is thin at that position with Anthony Tolliver sidelined by a knee injury expected to keep him out two to four weeks, according to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (Twitter link).

In other news around the Central Division:

Van Gundy told Langlois that the Pistons and Rockets couldn’t change the parameters of the protected first-round pick Detroit would have traded to Houston because the trade deadline had expired (Twitter link). That contradicts an earlier tweet from The Vertical’s front office expert Bobby Marks that indicated protections on the pick could have been changed.
Veteran shooting guard Steve Novak is thrilled the Bucks wanted him because they are his hometown team, Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports. Novak was traded last week by the Thunder to the Nuggets, who promptly released him as part of a buyout agreement. Milwaukee was looking for 3-point shooting off the bench and signed Novak, who attended Marquette, on Monday. “I always dreamed of playing for the Bucks, but at this point I didn’t know if it was something that would ever happen,” Novak told Gardner. “I think we were lucky enough that Denver said they would do a buyout and Milwaukee called and said they had interest. It was a phone call I wasn’t sure I’d ever get but I was pretty pumped.”
Kevin Love would rather be the third option on a championship team than the star of a lesser team, Steve Aschburner of NBA.com writes. The Cavaliers power forward has gotten used to hearing his name in trade rumors, as Aschburner details, but Love refutes the notion that he’d rather be posting bigger stats as another team’s No. 1 option. “All things considered, I’ve always said if I could win, be happy and get paid, that was kind of it,” Love told Aschburner.

And-Ones: Johnson, Celtics, Pelicans, Lee

February 18th, 2016 at 12:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers think would-be post-buyout target Joe Johnson wants to stay in Brooklyn and that he’ll seek to sign an extension with the Nets, a source told Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. People around Johnson say he won’t take a buyout, tweets Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders.

There’s more from around the basketball world as the trade deadline approaches:

The Celtics are willing to trade the unprotected 2016 first-round pick they have coming their way from the Nets if it would shake Blake Griffin loose from the Clippers, sources tell Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. However, Boston wouldn’t deal the pick for either Kevin Love or Al Horford, Bulpett hears.
The Pelicans shopped Eric Gordon and Omer Asik, but they haven’t found much interest, sources tell John Reid of The Times Picayune. New Orleans reportedly offered Gordon and Alonzo Gee to the Kings for Rudy Gay earlier this season, and the Pelicans apparently had talks with the Cavs that involved Asik after making him available in December.
The Grizzlies shipped $542,714 cash to the Hornets as part of the Courtney Lee trade, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reveals.
Jameer Nelson is running out of alternatives to season-ending surgery on a severely sprained left wrist, but he’ll continue to try to play for the time being after receiving an injection meant to ease the pain he’s feeling, as Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post details. He missed the Nuggets‘ last six games before the All-Star break.
The Bulls were interested in Trevor Ariza and Corey Brewer earlier this season, but the Rockets rebuffed their entreaties, reports Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com (Twitter link).
The Pistons would love to make one more move before the trade deadline, GM Jeff Bower said today in an appearance on WDFN-AM radio, notes Rod Beard of The Detroit News (Twitter link). The team is reportedly scanning the market for veteran guards, but Bower said the Pistons are looking at the options available at every position and added that coach/executive Stan Van Gundy has confidence in Steve Blake as the team’s backup point guard, Beard also relays (on Twitter).
The Grizzlies recalled James Ennis from the team’s D-League affiliate in Iowa, the team announced today. Ennis has appeared in 15 games with the Energy, averaging 16.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per night. He has played in 10 games for Memphis, averaging 1.3 points in 3.6 minutes.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Atlantic Notes: Teague, Schröder, Embiid, Knicks

February 17th, 2016 at 11:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers may plan a last-second attempt to acquire Jeff Teague or Dennis Schröder from the Hawks, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. A source told Pompey that Philadelphia front office could make an “11th-hour” call to the Hawks on Thursday to remind them of the Sixers’ interest. Pompey cautions that it will probably take Jahlil Okafor or Nerlens Noel to get either of the point guards, and Philly’s front office would rather keep both until it knows the status of 2014 draftee Joel Embiid, who has yet to play an NBA game. However, a report emerged tonight that the Sixers are “gauging interest” in Okafor. “I think you always have to be aware of what the market is for acquiring something or considering a trade,” said chairman of basketball operations Jerry Colangelo. “But we are not actively looking to do deals.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Embiid has traveled to Qatar for “a kick-start to the next phase” of his rehab process, according to Tom Moore of Calkins Media. He is working on his surgically repaired foot with doctors at Aspetar, which calls itself “the world’s leading specialized orthopedic and sports medicine hospital.” Embiid’s visit will include evaluation, consultation and meetings with specialists.
Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis was happy to be called “untouchable” in trade talks by team president Phil Jackson, tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork. Porzingis said he would like to remain in New York for his entire career.
Interim coach Kurt Rambis said the Knicks front office hasn’t asked his opinion on any possible deals Begley also relays (Twitter link).
The Nets won’t rush to make a deal before the deadline, owner Mikhail Prokhorov said, as NetsDaily notes. “If we have some small, good pieces, maybe we can do something,” Prokhorov said. “But we are [being] very passive because we’re not in a hurry. We have a long-term vision.”
The Rockets asked for Jonas Valanciunas when they unsuccessfully approached the Raptors about a Dwight Howard trade, according to Sportsnet’s Michael Grange. Such a deal would have required Toronto to relinquish much more to make the salaries match.
The Celtics would give up more for Kevin Love than they would for Al Horford, but the Cavs and Hawks are expected to continue to demand more than Boston is willing to relinquish for either, writes Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Cavaliers Interested In Ryan Anderson

February 17th, 2016 at 10:27pm CST by Arthur Hill

10:27pm: The Wizards have talked with the Pelicans about acquiring Anderson, but prefer to pursue Kevin Durant rather than pay Anderson in free agency, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports. Anderson is expected to attract a salary starting at $16MM-$18MM when he hits the market this summer, and Washington would rather chase Durant without having to worry about Anderson.

Wojnarowski also reports that the Pistons and Pelicans had “serious talks” about Anderson before Detroit opted to trade for Tobias Harris on Tuesday. Detroit was interested in a larger deal with the Magic that included Evan Fournier, but Orlando wanted to keep him.

3:39pm: The Cavaliers are talking to the Pelicans about power forward Ryan Anderson, tweets Frank Isola of The New York Daily News. He adds that a three-team deal that includes Kevin Love is still possible. Cleveland has “strong interest” in acquiring Anderson, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports.

The Pelicans are motivated to move Anderson because they aren’t sure if they can keep him once he enters free agency this summer. New Orleans expects Anderson to receive an offer with a starting salary in the neighborhood of $16MM-$18MM. The Heat, Kings, Wizards and Pistons are among the teams rumored to have interest in Anderson, although Detroit may have pulled out after Tuesday’s trade for Tobias Harris.

If Love is included in a deal, it will end a tumultuous season and a half with the Cavaliers. After being acquired from Minnesota in a 2014 trade, Love was supposed to be part of a new Big Three in Cleveland, but the fit was never as smooth as expected. He posted scoring and rebounding totals that were far behind his numbers with the Wolves.

Anderson, an eight-year veteran stretch forward, is averaging 16.7 points and 5.9 rebounds in 51 games with New Orleans. His salary is $8.5MM this season, while Love is making $19.5MM in the second season of a five-year max deal, so if they’re both involved in the same trade, some work will need to be done to match salaries.

Cavs Expected To Keep Love, Shumpert, Varejao

February 17th, 2016 at 9:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

Despite a flurry of last-minute trade rumors, the most likely outcome is that Kevin Love, Iman Shumpert and Anderson Varejao all stay with Cleveland past the deadline, according to Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal. Lloyd adds that a minor deal is possible to improve the back end of the Cavs’ rotation.

That would be a blow to the Celtics’ dreams of adding Love in a rumored three-way deal with the Pelicans. It would also mean that Varejao isn’t headed to Orlando in exchange for Channing Frye, perhaps clearing the way for the Magic to ship Frye to the Clippers.

Lloyd writes that the Cavaliers want to take another shot at winning a title with Love and are reluctant to give up Shumpert, who is the team’s best perimeter defender. They have been trying for most of the season to find a taker for Varejao, who still has two years and nearly $19MM in guaranteed money remaining on his contract, but have been turned down repeatedly.

Lloyd confirms Cleveland’s interest in Frye, who spent time with Cavs GM David Griffin in Phoenix, but the writer believes other teams can put together better offers. The Cavaliers also have payroll concerns, already facing about $170MM in salary and luxury tax penalties.

Celtics Could Get Love In Rumored Anderson Deal

February 17th, 2016 at 7:17pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics’ desire to add Kevin Love could get a boost from the Cavaliers’ interest in Ryan Anderson, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE. He hears from a source that Boston could wind up with Love as part of a three-team deal with Cleveland and New Orleans.

The potential deal is “very fragile,” but Love will wind up in Boston if it goes through, Blakely writes, adding that the Celtics have been trying for weeks to convince the Cavaliers to give up Love, and that Boston has been pursuing a third team to make the trade work. Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge is determined to find a star and sees Love as his best opportunity in years, according to Blakely.

The possibility of a three-team deal was mentioned by Frank Isola of the New York Daily News when he tweeted about the Cavs’ interest in Anderson earlier today. Anderson averages 16.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, but the Pelicans are concerned that they won’t be able to re-sign him in free agency this summer. Anderson is making $8.5MM this season, while Love’s salary is $19.5MM, so several other players will have to be included to make the proposed deal possible.