David Khan reportedly said he wanted to maintain as much roster flexibility as he could, which is why he wouldn’t offer Kevin Love the full maximum five-year, $80 million contract extension to stay in Minnesota. Well, that flexibility works both ways, because now Kevin Love could be gone in three, after reportedly agreeing to a four year extension that includes an opt-out clause after the third year.
Consider it another blunder in the long line of Kahn missteps that will seemingly doom the Timberwolves to nothing better than mediocrity. Just four days removed from a signature win thanks to Love himself, the Wolves showed that no matter how much moxy they show on the court, it can’t overcome the ineptitude of a horrible front office.
Now, instead of making Love the cornerstone of the franchise, and signaling to any potential free agents that they will receive respect in the form of well deserved contracts, the Timberwolves have show that they will be stingy with their money and will low-ball even their brightest stars and most unique talents. If Kevin Love, quite possibly the best power forward in the NBA, can’t get a max extension in Minnesota, who can?
And let’s please not make this about a small market team struggling with its finances. Minneapolis-St. Paul is the 15th largest television market in the United States. It’s in a market big enough to be in the top half of the NBA and it’s more than twice the size of the Oklahoma City television market. But the Thunder barely blinked at making Russell Westbrook their second max player, giving him the offer Love wanted.
But the Thunder are run by Sam Presti.
David Kahn took over the Timberwolves reins in May of 2009. At the end of the 2008-09 season, the Timberwolves were 24-58. The Thunder were 23-59. Two years later, The Thunder finished 55-27 and Minnesota was 17-65. Sure, the Thunder had Kevin Durant, but the moves to build around him were shrewd, calculated, and, when needed, paid for. Now the the Thunder are favorites to go to the NBA Finals. Minnesota regressed in that span, only now showing any signs of climbing out of the cellar.
Kahn wanted flexibility. He got a heaping dose of it, along with the sudden pressure to make sure the Timberwolves show enough improvement in just three years to keep Kevin Love in the fold. Given his track record, we all might as well start writing the “Kevin Love sweepstakes” stories now. Because Kahn has pissed off his star player, and practically paved the way for him to leave town the next chance he gets.
