Tuesday night, Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported Kevin Love had agreed to a 4-year, $62-million extension that would keep him with the Timberwolves through 2018.
Love is the biggest member of the 2008 Draft class yet to sign an extension. Russell Westbrook got his max extension. So too did Derrick Rose. No. 2 overall pick Michael Beasley is not likely to get an extension. Indiana’s Roy Hibbert (a likely All Star this year… out of necessity at the center position) does not appear to be close to signing an extension with Indiana. Orlando’s Ryan Anderson will not be getting one. D.J. Augustin seems out of luck too.
But none of those players (except for the two who already received their max contracts) are in the running for a max contract. Only Love has the big money on the table.
And it appears he has it.
Except he doesn’t, as Kevin Love himself reported.
Twitter / @kevinlove: If you read it on the Inte … via kwout
That made Ricky Rubio respond with this:
Twitter / @rickyrubio9: @kevinlove is it true????? … via kwout
It seems like things are not quite settled in the Timberwolves house. Minnesota has gotten off to a surprising start. Rubio and Love have been the centerpieces to that and have made Minnesota no longer the league doormat. Sure, the Wolves are not quite winning games or competing for a playoff spot, but there is a reason to go to the Target Center again — not to see the opposing team.
Love was an All-Star last year and likely will be one this year as he continues to play well, averaging 24.9 points per game and 13.9 rebounds per game. And if Rubio wants Love in a Wolves uniform with him, you would think Minnesota would want to keep them together. Just for the excitement factor at finally having a sound foundation for rebuilding (or building for the first time).
This is not a max contract though (it appears to be the max for a four-year deal). And that appears to be what Love is after. If the Pioneer Press’ report is true, it means Love does not get a fifth year like Westbrook and Rose did. It would also make Love the Wolves designated player — only one player per team can get that fifth year coming off a rookie contract. Some believe the Wolves would like to save that for Rubio.
What seems more likely considering Love’s reaction and reports from Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune is that there is something of a stare down between David Kahn and Kevin Love regarding the contract extension. Zgoda reports it came to a head earlier this week:
“I have heard from people I trust that David Kahn presented Love with a contract offer in the training room — not sure if it was the only formal offer ever made or the latest — after Monday’s loss to Houston and that Love was seen leaving Target Center with it crumpled in his hand and visibly angry.”
If the Wolves are thinking of keeping Love long-term that kind of acrimonious relationship will not serve them well when this new contract runs out and Love becomes an unrestricted free agent.
As it stands now, however, the failure to reach a deal by tonight’s midnight Eastern deadline will only result in Love becoming a restricted free agent, allowing the Wolves to match any offer made to him. It seems likely that the Wolves will do that and so Love will be in Minnesota likely for four more years. Beyond that, though, you might be able to point to the hurdles in this round of negotiations as a reason for the things that might happen then.
