NBA Rumors: Latest Gossip Surrounding Kevin Love, Gal Mekel and More
The 2014-15 NBA season is heating up, and so are the rumors surrounding the Association. While any kind of blockbuster move certainly isn't likely to happen in the immediate future, that doesn't mean we aren't in for some surprising changes down the road.
Gossip has recently surfaced around the Web regarding alterations to a few franchises—for a variety of reasons. Some teams must replace injured players, some are looking to fill out their rosters and others are at the mercy of their star players' contract decisions.
As we await the potential transitions of NBA franchises and their players, let's first take a look at the most recent buzz around the Internet from some of basketball's most trusted sources.
No Love for Cleveland?
The Cleveland Cavaliers built a superteam over the offseason by maintaining Kyrie Irving and adding LeBron James and Kevin Love. The franchise isn't off to the best of starts this season, but new players will need time to jell. However, will those stars be around long enough for that to happen?
Sam Smith of NBA.com noted that James and Love can opt out of their contracts at the end of the season. While that isn't going to happen for James, Smith alluded to the notion of Love leaving for greener pastures: "But watch out for Love. Indications are he will seriously consider the opt-out and has his eyes on a return to Los Angeles, where he attended college and where the Lakers long have had him on their free-agent wish list."
Of course, that would be a devastating move for a hopeful Cavaliers team, but it would also be a move that would make sense for a rebuilding Los Angeles Lakers team in dire need of a legitimate power forward.
Love's numbers are a bit down this season in Cleveland, though he's still averaging 18.0 points, 11.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. His ability to dominate in the paint as well as shoot from downtown would be sorely missed in Cleveland if he chose to head out west after the season.
Gal Mekel Latest
Former Dallas Mavericks point guard Gal Mekel is without a home in the NBA this season. The guard was thought to have joined the Indiana Pacers earlier in November, but a Visa issue prevented the Israeli from signing his contract before the team's waiver to sign a 16th player ended.
That was plain bad luck. Unfortunately, things only continued to worsen for Mekel, as ESPN.com's Marc Stein shot down reports of potential interest coming from the Oklahoma City Thunder:
Mekel proved to be a viable role player for the Mavericks last season. He only averaged 2.4 points, 0.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists while playing 9.4 minutes per contest, but he shined at times when given increased time on the court.
We'll have to wait and see what the future holds for this guard, because there doesn't appear to be much happening presently.
Lakers Get Exception
The Lakers continue to be plagued with injuries. The most devastating of the bunch happened in the team's first game of the season when rookie forward Julius Randle broke his leg. Fortunately, there's a bit of light at the end of the tunnel, as Stein reported Los Angeles was granted an exception for its loss:
"Sources told ESPN.com that the Lakers were granted the exception, valued at $1.5 million, after it was determined that Randle is "substantially" more likely than not to miss the remainder of his first pro season. League rules stipulate that the Lakers can use the exception to sign a free-agent replacement for Randle worth up to $1,498,680, which amounts to 50 percent of Randle's rookie salary.
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Stein also noted the team is unlikely to sign an immediate replacement for Randle, as the Lakers have until March 10 to make a decision.
Randle is not the only injured player the Lakers are dealing with. Veteran Steve Nash is also out for the season due to lingering issues with his back. The team is currently looking into all avenues concerning the guard. Obviously, trading him would be highly beneficial to the team, but it's tough to think another franchise would be willing to take on an ailing, older player who holds a $9.7 million salary this season.
