NBA Rumors: Kevin Love Must Reject Minnesota Timberwolves' Weak Offer

Note to the Minnesota Timberwolves: When a guy has a career year then shows the dedication to lose weight and come to camp in even better shape, only to then take his game to another level altogether, that guy is your franchise player.

The Wolves have that with Kevin Love, but apparently they aren't smart enough to realize it.

It should have been a no-brainer to offer Love the max five-year, $80 million contract he can be offered under the new CBA as Minnesota's "designated player."

As a matter of fact, that deal should have been offered and signed weeks ago instead of pushing things up to today's deadline.

Minnesota actually should be ashamed of themselves for attempting to low-ball their star, and sadly it should be time for Love to realize that and reject Minnesota's latest offer.

It was reported last night that Love had agreed to a four-year, $62 million extension, but ESPN's Marc Stein reports that no such deal has been reached.

If Minnesota doesn't offer the max deal, which is actually a bargain in NBA terms for a guy that is averaging nearly 25 points and 14 rebounds per night, Love should walk away from the negotiating table.

Love has options.

He can sign somewhere else as a restricted free agent next season and see if the Timberwolves match the offer, or he can accept Minnesota's qualifying offer next season and become an unrestricted free agent the following summer.

Love is currently eligible for the same five-year extension worth nearly $80 million that Russell Westbrook received last week from the Oklahoma City Thunder. Based on the NBA's new CBA, every NBA team can have one "designated player" on its books whose rookie contract has been extended for five years.

But the Wolves have been unwilling to do that with Love, trying keep as much future cap flexibility as possible as they continue to rebuild their team.

While that's nice and makes sense, they will be back to almost square one if Love walks away.

The Timberwolves have a good future ahead of them, but if they don't take care of Love then they are showing disrespect to him, the other players in that locker room and the fans.

Love should walk away from this latest futile attempt to sign him, and the Timberwolves will regret their decision for years if Love ends up in another uniform.