NBA Rumors: Latest Rumblings on Kevin Love, Brook Lopez and More
It's not an easy time to sit in an NBA front office.
This is especially true for teams still in the playoffs, although they aren't allowed to complain. Between the postseason, upcoming draft and its NBA Draft Combine and many factors swirling around free agency, though, this seems to be the busiest time of year.
As one should expect from the Association, there's talk about who will and won't opt out, where some of the league's top players will wind up and how budding teams plan to use major cap space to produce an instant turnaround.
Below, let's take a look at the most recent of these rumblings.
The Bucks and Brook Lopez?
It seems the future of Brook Lopez isn't a topic ready to conclude anytime soon.
Folks must know the skinny by now, but here's a quick review. Lopez, 27, averaged 17.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game last year with a 22.76 player efficiency rating, per ESPN.com. He clutches a player option for next season worth a cap hit of $16.744 million, per Spotrac.
The best answer to whether he opts out: Who knows?
It's easy to think Lopez would want off a 38-win team from this past season that bowed out of the postseason in the first round, but it's also easy to think he wants the guaranteed cash.
To make matters more interesting, per Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times, Lopez might have his sights on an unexpected destination: "If Brooklyn center Brook Lopez opts out of his contract, which is for $16.8 million, one of the teams he may consider, according to some NBA officials, is the Bucks. Lopez has a good relationship with Bucks coach Jason Kidd, who coached him in Brooklyn last season."
So much for Lopez picking the Los Angeles Lakers and calling it a day, right?
Milwaukee makes sense given the need and youthful upside thanks to names such as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker. It's an interesting twist on an old nugget, so be on the lookout for more as Lopez ponders his future.
Kevin Love Has Cavaliers Scared?
This is what the circus around each year's free agency creates.
No matter what Cleveland Cavaliers big man Kevin Love says, and he says quite a lot he's not leaving—just do a Google search, he seems to say it each week—the rumblings will always continue to suggest otherwise.
The latest comes from Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, who appeared on the Dan Patrick Show and revealed the following (via Kurt Helin of NBCSports.com): “He’s going to look at free agency, I think he’s going to look at other teams. He can always opt in and go into free agency next summer where there’s even a bigger pool of money. But there’s a legitimate fear within the Cavs that he will just walk.”
Maybe the Cavaliers should worry. The prospect of losing a superstar who averages 16.4 points and 9.7 rebounds always hurts. For Love, it makes sense to see what's out on the market, give a good old dip of the toes into the water.
Love leaving depends on a few different things. There's money in Cleveland and a guarantee to contend for a title each year out, but what if he wants to be the man? He's not with the Cavaliers, taking a back seat to both LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. If money isn't a concern and a team willing to feature him more crops up, there's an outside chance Love leaves.
No matter what happens, it's not hard to tell where the offseason's biggest storyline resides.
Celtics to Raid the Blazers?
The biggest name set to hit free agency might just be LaMarcus Aldridge of the Portland Trail Blazers, which again, isn't such a big surprise.
A talent such as Aldridge doesn't come around often, his 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game with a 22.85 PER not doing his total impact on a deep roster justice.
Many teams are sure to line up and partake in the bidding war for the 29-year-old star, although the Boston Celtics seem to have the most elaborate plan of all. According to CSNNE.com's A. Sherrod Blakely on an episode of Celtics Talk TV, the Celtics have a blueprint to lure the big man east (via MassLive.com's Jay King):
"My understanding is the Celtics are going to be open to putting together some type of package deal where they would not only bring in LaMarcus Aldridge, they'd bring in one of his good friends by the name of Wes Matthews."
It sure sounds like one way to lure a superstar, right?
It's odd to think Aldridge would pack his bags and move across the country, especially with a team such as the San Antonio Spurs perhaps in the market, but maybe that's the point—he wants to get out of the competitive Western Conference.
There's an interesting core in place with the Celtics, led by Marcus Smart and others. Add in Aldridge and Wes Matthews, and there seems to be enough for consistent postseason pushes.
While the Aldridge rumblings take a back seat to Love right now, they may not for long if this keeps up.
Stats and info courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
