The Kevin Love trade rumors continue to heat up, as progress seems to slowly be building. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, LeBron James has personally reached out to the Minnesota Timberwolves forward about the possibility of playing together in Cleveland.
LeBron James has reached to tell Kevin Love of his desire for them to play together with the Cavaliers, front office sources tell Yahoo.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 17, 2014
Cleveland has been showing interest in Kevin Love for months now, but this is the first time that a deal seems close to being made. The urging of LeBron may nudge the situation, but there is still several issues impeding any potential deals. According to Wojnarowski and Marc J. Spears also of Yahoo Sports:
Love is enthusiastic about the idea of teaming with James on the Cleveland Cavaliers, sources said. James’ decision to sign only a two-year contract that affords him the option of again becoming a free agent at the end of next season has not tempered Love’s interest in joining James on the roster.
The Cavs and Timberwolves have had ongoing talks about a trade for Love, but a deal is not imminent, said one high-ranking source involved in the discussions.
The Cavaliers have shown a willingness to possibly include No. 1 pick Andrew Wiggins in a package for Love, but would likely need additional teams to complete a deal, sources said. Wiggins played for Cleveland’s summer-league team Thursday night in Las Vegas.
Other News From Around The League:
The Los Angeles Lakers claimed veteran forward Carlos Boozer off amnesty waivers today. According to ESPN’s Marc Stein and Brian Windhorst: “We’re very pleased to have won the bidding process and to have gained his rights, and look forward to his contributions next season,” Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said in a news release. The Bulls must pay Boozer the remaining $13.6 million that he is owed in 2014-15 on the final year of his current contract. Releasing Boozer via the amnesty clause removes that $13.6 million from Chicago’s books for salary-cap and luxury-tax purposes, but the Bulls still must pay him the money he’s owed.
Eric Bledsoe and the Phoenix Suns remain far apart in negotiating a deal for the restricted free agent. The story was reported by Chris Broussard of ESPN: The Suns have offered Bledsoe a four-year, $48 million contract, but the point guard wants a maximum five-year, $80 million deal, league sources said. A restricted free agent, Bledsoe averaged 17.7 points, 5.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds last season. The thought that the Suns will match any offer Bledsoe receives from a competing club has deterred teams from aggressively pursuing the 24-year-old point guard. Phoenix has thus far refused to discuss potential sign-and-trade opportunities. But the Suns’ completion of a sign-and-trade deal for Isaiah Thomas, along with the drafting of point guard Tyler Ennis, has potential suitors believing that Phoenix may move on from Bledsoe, league sources said.
Per Broderick Turner of the LA Times, Glen Davis resigned with the Los Angeles Clippers: The Clippers have re-signed free-agent power forward Glen Davis to a one-year contract for the veteran minimum of $1.2 million, according to an NBA official who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. Davis opted out of his contract in June that would have paid him $1.4 million for the 2014-15 season, looking for a bigger payday and longer contract that never came. But the official said Davis wanted to return to the Clippers “in the best shape” of his six-year career so that the 6-9 forward could help give the team another quality big man off the bench.
Brett Dolan of CBS Houston reports that former NBA All-Star TracyMcGrady retires from baseball: Former NBA star and Sugar Land Skeeters pitcher Tracy McGrady started the Atlantic League All Star Game Wednesday at Constellation Field before retiring from baseball after pitching 1.1 innings. T-Mac struck out the last batter he faced, Atlantic League All Star Bryan Pounds, before walking off the mound to the applause of his teammates. The strikeout was the first and only “K” of McGrady’s baseball career and he kept the baseball for his mantle. “That is definitely going in the trophy case,” he said from the dugout following his outing. “I told some of the guys that I am going to get a strikeout before I stop playing. I got it in the second inning. Thank you Jesus.” McGrady started four regular season Atlantic League games pitching a total of 6.2 innings, allowing four hits and five runs. He allowed a run on one hit in the All Star Game.
Esau Howard is a regular contributor to Sheridan Hoops. Follow him on Twitter.