Trade Discussion: Kevin Love

I’m back from the dead!  I haven’t posted anything for quite a while but I had a fun discussion today with some Jazz fans and I wanted to put down my thoughts on the idea.  The Utah Jazz are building for the future, we have acquired quite a few draft picks and we have financial flexibility to sign basically anyone we can convince to come to Utah to play basketball.  Eventually you have to cash in those assets and put a team on the floor that can compete.  There has been tons of talk about this year’s NBA draft which is supposed to be the deepest draft in years.  The draft has the potential to produce multiple all-stars and maybe a potential superstar or two.  Knowing that would we as Jazz fans be willing to part with that possibility of drafting a future all-star and some of our young players for a proven all-star in the league right now?

The Minnesota Timberwolves are currently 10th in the Western Conference with a record of 18-19.  Last season the team had a bunch of injuries and the thought was once they get everyone back healthy including Kevin Love that this team would be a playoff team and possibly be able to make the second round.  They are definitely under achieving and it’s putting them in a tough spot as a franchise.  Kevin Love has been on record recently being unhappy with his teammates support on the bench and seems to be unhappy in general.  Who wouldn’t be unhappy when a team isn’t living up to expectations right?

So here’s the trade I’m proposing as an idea and want to hear Jazz fans opinion on.  Utah sends Minnesota our 2014 first round draft pick unprotected, Enes Kanter and Alec Burks while in return Minnesota sends us Kevin Love.  Kevin Love is only under contract through the 2015 season so lets say the Jazz tell Minnesota that they deal also hinges on Kevin Love signing an extension with the Jazz.  Just as a side note, Kevin Love is 4th in the NBA in scoring at 25.5 points per game and 2nd in the NBA in rebounding at 13.1 rebounds per game.  If those numbers aren’t superstar numbers then I don’t know what superstar numbers are.

Why it make sense for Minnesota

Like I said before Minnesota is a team that put a plan together to make the playoffs and the team is under performing.  If Minnesota dealt Kevin Love at the trade deadline it most likely would not leave the Jazz enough time to make the playoffs and keep them in the lottery.  Minnesota also has made themselves a worse team and which will make their draft pick better as well which they need to keep in the top 13 picks or they send it to Phoenix.  They add a young big in Enes Kanter with a bunch of potential as well as a young wing player who has been playing very well this season.  In the upcoming draft they have the possibility of getting 2 top 10 picks and definitely 2 lottery picks and as I stated before the draft is very deep and has the potential to produce multiple all-stars.  This would put Minnesota in reboot for the rest of this season but with everything they received they could be a playoff contender again next season.

Why it makes sense for Utah

The Utah Jazz have a bunch of assets and a young core they are banking on to lead this franchise in the future.  Derrick Favors, Gordon Hayward and Trey Burke seem to be locks to be on this team long-term but if they also have to sign Enes Kanter and Alec Burks it makes things difficult for the franchise to keep everyone.  If you have a chance to bring in a proven star who can be the number one option on offense.  Having Trey Burke, Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors and Kevin Love starting for you instantly makes you a playoff team and possibly a contender in the deep Western Conference if you add pieces coming off the bench.  Since Kevin Love has the ability to shoot the 3 ball he would be the ideal player to put next to Derrick Favors to stretch the floor.  The Jazz also have the ability to keep those 4 players together with the financial flexibility they have.

Personally I think this deal makes sense for both sides if they could work the money to get the trade to go through.  I think it puts Minnesota on a fast track rebuild and gives them a ton of value for Kevin Love who may leave the franchise after the 2015 season anyways.  They Jazz get the player they have been looking for and would hopefully put them over the edge and help them contend for a top 4 seed in the deep Western Conference.  I want to hear your thoughts Jazz fans.  Leave comments below and let me know if you like this trade and would do it or if you hate it and just want to see if we pull a superstar out of this draft.  Go Jazz!!!