The All-Star Break is over and we are getting nearer to Thursday's 3 p.m. trade deadline. That means the silliness is going to set in for the next 48 hours as teams try to posture and make any last-second moves they need to make before the clock strikes midnight — or 3 p.m.
Rumors will be flying fast and loose as general managers and agents try to increase player value and writers try to make a name for themselves by staying two steps ahead of everyone. At this point of the year, if you are not following Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, you are not really an NBA fan.
Until the deadline really gets into focus Thursday morning, all we have are the rumors to satisfy our trade machine-infested brains.
And some juicy rumors came down the Twitter-verse Tuesday afternoon.
The Timberwolves are generally thought to be buyers at this trade deadline as they try to do whatever they can to make the Playoffs and entice Kevin Love to sign long term with the organization. The Timberwolves future is very much int he balance with each move they make, tipping the scales one way or the other.
Or . . . they could just blow it up now and give up. Those rumor-hungry writers found a juicy one involving Love and the Timberwolves.
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reports the Lakers and the Mavericks have been making moves to try to get Love in a trade this year before Love gets the chance to enter his lame-duck year before his player option in 2015.
The Lakers and Mavericks are trying to assemble trade offers for prospective free agent Kevin Love, but thus far the Timberwolves have given no indication they'll consider moving the All-Star forward by Thursday's deadline, league sources told CBSSports.com.
In fairness to the rumors, Mark Cuban vehemently denies the Kevin Love rumors involving his team. And the Lakers have virtually no useful pieces to swing that kind of a deal to get Kevin Love from Minnesota.
The Timberwolves are not likely to trade Love at this point anyway. The Timberwolves are six games outside of the Playoffs and are more desperate to make the Playoffs than to completely rebuild. That is, unless they have to.
Minnesota certainly believes there has been some bad luck this year and the team is right there. Not likely at this point.
So what else could be cooking?
Many teams are sure to be inquiring about Rajon Rondo as the Celtics seem to be heading in the rebuild direction with their team. Boston though appears to have a steep, steep price for him. The Celtics are reportedly asking for two first round picks
Reportedly the Kings and the Raptors both made some serious pushes at Rondo. Both of which Boston reportedly turned down. The Knicks would love to be one of those teams, but they do not have the assets to make a deal happen in any way, shape or form.
Rondo appears to be calling some of the shots. Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports reported the Kings deal fizzled out because Rondo said he would not re-sign in Sacramento and the same happened in Toronto.
That and Danny Ainge has more or less unequivocally said he will not move Rondo and the rebuilding will continue with Rondo as the centerpiece.
Oh, the next 48 hours will be fun.
