NBA Rumors: Minnesota Timberwolves Smart to Give Kevin Love Maximum Deal

The Minnesota Timberwolves have the opportunity to lock up their top player in Kevin Love for several years with a mega-deal. Should the deal be finalized, it will be one of the smartest moves the franchise has made in years.

According to sources at The Star Tribune, the Timberwolves are ready to offer Love a maximum salary contract. 

The deal will either be for four years and close to $61 million, or it will be a five-year "designated player" deal close to $78 million. 

It will likely depend on what type of deals Russell Westbrook and Eric Gordon get, as they were drafted around the same time as Love in 2008.

There is no doubt Love has been the better player, as he is more vital to his team, which would mean he should get the best deal of the three. However, nothing is final just yet. 

Minnesota has until Jan. 25 to extend Love's contract, and its best bet is to make sure that happens. 

Currently at 6-8, the Timberwolves are in last place in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference, which is arguably one of the toughest divisions in the NBA. 

Love is leading the team is scoring and rebounding and is without a doubt the center piece of the team. Without Love, the Timberwolves might as well be nonexistent because he is the one that truly keeps them competitive. 

Now that Ricky Rubio has finally arrived to the team, Minnesota looks to have a bright future. However, all of it will be lost if Minnesota doesn't give Love the deal he deserves. 

Since he is the strongest asset to the team, locking him up for multiple years is a very smart move. Losing Love to an actual contending team would send the Timberwolves down the drain. 

Love averages a double-double for his career, and if Minnesota continues to build around him the Timberwolves could have something special.

They're not the worst team in the league anymore, but they certainly aren't playoff threats by any means. By giving Love the monster deal, it will keep him happy, which in turn means the team will be in good shape. 

Minnesota is in the works of building a strong team, but the main priority has to be making sure Love gets paid. 

It appears the Timberwolves going to do the right thing, though, which means they will be able to say they have a legitimate star player in the league inked to a long-term deal. That will bring a smile to many faces.