Timberwolves Will Realize Too Late That Kevin Love Deserved Max-Length Contract

Minnesota Timberwolves GM David Kahn just proved that he is luckier than he is smart. The T-Wolves finally look like they are on the cusp of contention, and now, he's pulling a questionable move that may come back to haunt his franchise. 

Kahn decided not to budge from his four-year, $62 million contract extension offer to Kevin Love, who is expected to sign it today in Dallas, according to Ray Richardson of the Saint Paul Pioneer Press.

While it was an absolute necessity and a priority to lock up the superstar power forward before he was eligible for restricted free agency, the team needed to offer him five years, not four.

He’s been the best player in Minnesota since his rookie season and the first player to market the franchise around since Kevin Garnett departed before the 2007 campaign tipped off.  

The UCLA product was voted Most Improved Player last season and made his first All-Star game after leading the league in rebounding. That’s quite an accomplishment for a 6’10”, 260-pound forward who has no qualms playing outside and nailing threes.  

By not offering him a five-year, approximately $80 million “designated player” contract like Russell Westbrook received from the Oklahoma City Thunder, the T-Wolves are running a high risk of losing Love in four years.

He can choose to play anywhere after his contract runs out, or Kahn, if he’s still around, will have to go through the drama of trading him before his deal expires (ask Otis Smith and Dwight Howard about how miserable that is).

This leads us to speculate on just whom Kahn could be thinking about assigning a five-year “designated player” deal to.

Ricky Rubio is the most obvious choice.

He is having a stellar rookie season, averaging 10.7 points, 8.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds a game.

But remember, there was a lot of chatter prior to the 2009 draft and immediately following it that Rubio did not want to play for a small-market team like Minnesota.

It took him two years to finally make the leap to the NBA, and it may have been due to pressure from the looming lockout to sign that big rookie contract.

Rubio might find it hard to commit to five years knowing that Love might bail out well before the young PG’s contract expires.

This is why Love should have been given the maximum length extension. It would have given the Timberwolves a solid foundation to build around, and players would know he is in for the long haul.

Showing confidence that your core nucleus is going to grow together and eventually start making playoff runs is extremely important in the NBA.

Kahn should have offered that extra year to insure his team knows he is serious about building for the future, not hoping to give himself more outs in a couple of years.