Seriously. Just trade Kevin Love and let this saga end already.
The never-ending trade reports continued to flow in on Friday, July 25. The Minnesota Timberwolves power forward remains a player who’s on the trading block, but seemingly untouchable for an organization that would likely lose him for nothing in 2015 if he remains in Minnesota.
According to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio, Love has made it clear where he wants to be traded to.
Multiple league sources told FOX Sports Ohio on Friday they are under the impression Love has relayed his desire for a trade to Cleveland to his agent. Love is represented by Jeff Schwartz.
Sources could not say for certain whether Love or Schwartz have made a formal trade request to the Timberwolves. Most believe if such a request is made, the Cavs will be able to obtain Love at a considerably cheaper cost than what is being discussed by the teams.
LeBron James and Kyrie Irving aren’t bad teammates to have.
The hurdle in all of this is that Cleveland signed No. 1 overall draft choice Andrew Wiggins to his rookie contract on July 24. Thus, the Cavaliers cannot trade the former Kansas Jayhawks at any time during the 30-day period which follows his date of signing.
That’s either another month of rumors or a sign that the Cavs are bowing out.
From a basketball perspective, Cleveland seems to be the most ideal location for Love to end up. Irving is already a two-time All-Star at 22, while James is widely considered the best player in the world.
As for the system, head coach David Blatt runs an adaptation of the Princeton Offense that would fit Love well. He can make the backdoor passes or space the floor for the motion 3-ball that has made him such a dangerous threat.
Without Wiggins, however, Minnesota has no reason to execute a trade with Cleveland. Oh, the offseason.
Byron Scott to Coach the Lakers?
The Los Angeles Lakers have always done things to the beat of their own drum. The Lakers continued that trend by going nearly three months without a head coach.
According to Chris Broussard of ESPN, the Lakers have offered their vacant coaching job to Byron Scott.
Sources: The Los Angeles Lakers have offered Byron Scott their head coaching job. The two sides are now in negotiations.
— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) July 25, 2014
Way to test a fanbase’s patience.
The Lakers have always been an unconventional organization. There’s no pattern to follow in Los Angeles, but instead an ever-changing blueprint that has helped the organization win 16 championships.
A man responsible for three of those is expected to become the next head coach.
Scott played for the Lakers from 1983 to 1993. He was a critical contributor to a “Showtime” squad that won three NBA championships in 1985, ’87 and ’88, respectively.
Scott also played for the Lakers during the 1995-96 season, mentoring an 18-year-old rookie named Kobe Bryant.
The same Kobe Bryant who, nearly 20 years later, is still the face of the franchise.
The fact that Scott has ties to the Lakers organization and a relationship with Bryant plays a factor here. He’s respected throughout Los Angeles, but the imperative trust from Bryant and the front office is what matters most.
The question is, is Scott the right coach for the job?
Scott wasted little time before he earned fame and adoration as the head coach of the New Jersey Nets. After a horrid 26-56 debut campaign in 2000-01, he led New Jersey to a 52-30 record and the franchise’s first ever NBA Finals appearance in 2001-02.
In 2002-03, the Nets again made it to the NBA Finals. They fell short of winning the championship in both seasons.
Since those two magical runs, he’s spent 10 seasons on the sidelines with two ending in early terminations. In that span, he’s achieved just three winning records.
In his most recent stint, Scott led the post-James Cleveland Cavaliers to just 64 wins in three full seasons. That won’t be enough to keep Laker Nation happy. Not even close.
Scott has the name value and the history that the organization is looking for. His coaching resume, however, is a display of imbalanced success.
Scott clearly knows how to get the most out of elite talent, as the two Finals appearances prove. The concerning reality is, he’s been a coach with a losing record more than he’s been a coach with a winning record.
For all of the uncertainty, the Lakers have finally made a move to hire a head coach. It couldn’t have gone to a better candidate than Scott.
Around The League
- Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports provided information on the future of the NBPA and its vacant Executive Director position. “Sources had told Yahoo Sports in past 48 hours that [there] are four finalists in process for [the new] NBPA executive director.” Those candidates include Washington D.C. attorney Michele Roberts, ITI CEO Dean Garfield and Dallas Mavericks CEO Terdema Ussery.
- Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports also reports that Kevin Johnson is no longer involved in the selection process. “In email, Kevin Johnson has informed agents he’s no longer part of the search process for a new NBPA executive director, Yahoo has learned.” Johnson is the mayor of Sacramento and one of the most prolific point guards in NBA history.
- Marc Stein of ESPN reports that Omri Casspi will return to the Sacramento Kings on a one-year deal worth the veteran’s minimum. “ESPN sources say Omri Casspi is finalizing a one-year contract at league min. with Sacramento tonight after clearing waivers earlier Friday.” Casspi, 26, played for the Kings from 2009 to 2011.