SH Blog: Cavs and Bulls battling for Kevin Love; Doc wants out if Sterling stays; Mirotic highest paid European rookie

The Chicago Bulls, along with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets are now reportedly all in the mix for Kevin Love.

Cleveland still appears to be the front-runner, but Chicago, if willing, can also put an enticing package together, especially if the Cavaliers insist on keeping number one overall pick Andrew Wiggins. 

According to ESPN’s Marc Stein and Brian Windhorst, the Cavaliers are indeed closing in on a framework that could complete a deal that would bring Love to Cleveland to pair with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. Here’s more from Stein and Windhorst:

Sources told ESPN.com that the Cavs firmly believe they are progressing toward a trade framework that the Minnesota Timberwolves will accept in exchange for Love and enable Cleveland to pair the versatile big man with Team USA teammate LeBron James.

Cleveland’s offer, sources said, would be headlined by No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins, 2013’s No. 1 overall pick Anthony Bennett and a future first-round pick, with one source close to the process insisting Tuesday that the Cavs are destined to acquire Love. At least one more player might have to added to the package to satisfy NBA trade rules.

But while the Cavs remain close, and may very well have the trump card in Wiggins, sources are reporting that the Bulls have thrown their hat in the ring. Who those sources are and what their agenda is remains to be seen:

Sources say that the Bulls, though, have re-entered the race and would appear to be the biggest threat to the Cavs thanks largely to theGolden State Warriors’ resolute unwillingness to add longtime Wolves target Klay Thompson in any deal.

Although the full extent of the Bulls’ offer wasn’t immediately known, it is believed Minnesota would seek a package from Chicago featuring forward Taj Gibson and defensive ace Jimmy Butler in addition to other assets. The Bulls shelved their Love interest while trying to sign Carmelo Anthony away from the New York Knicks but, according to sources, have re-emerged as contenders.

ESPN.com reported as far back as May that Golden State and Chicago were prime destinations that interest Love, who holds more than the usual sway in this process because he can become a free agent next summer.

But while Golden State and Chicago both interest Love, the mutual attraction for Love — playing with LeBron — and Saunders — Minnesota getting a return in Wiggins — places Cleveland ahead of the pack. It’s no easy task for a GM to part with his best player and the face of the franchise, especially from a PR standpoint, but if Saunders is able to bring back a haul of four number one picks from Cleveland (including Wiggins and Anthony Bennett), that has to look like a win compared to any package the Warriors or Bulls can offer.

At this point it is difficult to decipher what is real and what is purely smoke. It seems as if Minnesota has been leaking interest in other offers to push Cleveland closer to the signing table. Cleveland countered the other day by leaking its plans to sign Wiggins to his rookie contract this week, an element that would prevent a trade involving Wiggins happening for 30 days.

Yahoo Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski was able to offer a bit of clarity to this mess Tuesday afternoon, reporting that the Cavaliers are currently shopping around the league for non-guaranteed contracts to include in a deal for Love.

What does this mean exactly?

This would allow Cleveland to strike a deal for Love while offering the Wolves salary cap relief. Remember, if Wiggins is not signed than his contract counts for $0 and the Cavs must offer the Wolves a minimum return of 80% of what they are sending out. This would allow them to match salaries while not placing that burden on Minnesota.

From Wojnarowski:

Cleveland’s discussions with Minnesota have escalated with the Cavaliers’ willingness to include No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins in the deal, sources said. Without Wiggins, there’s no other combination of Cleveland players and picks that would interest Minnesota. Once Wiggins signs his rookie contract, a trade involving him can’t be formally completed for 30 days.

The Cavaliers are working to obtain non-guaranteed contracts through trades that could be part of a package for Love, allowing the Cavaliers to deliver players that could be released immediately upon completion of a deal, sources said. This would give Minnesota salary-cap relief as part of a trade.

Cleveland seems to be showing its hand, though. The Cavaliers struck a deal with the Utah Jazz Tuesday evening that signals their true ambition to acquire Love rather quickly. Here’s more from Wojnarowski:

The Cleveland Cavaliers made a deal to increase their trade asset flexibility in pursuit of Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star forward Kevin Love, absorbing three non-guaranteed contracts in a trade with the Utah Jazz on Tuesday, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

The Cavaliers unloaded the guaranteed deal of Carrick Felix – along with a future second-round pick and $1 million – for John Lucas, Malcolm Thomas and Erik Murphy, sources said.

Cleveland has been determined to acquire Love since it signed LeBron James to a free-agent deal.

Those three players can be included in packages as preludes to a Love deal, or in a Love deal itself to give Minnesota salary-cap relief. The Cavaliers hold an interest in keeping Thomas, who could be an inexpensive role player to strengthen their frontcourt depth, sources said.

Wojnarowski also stated that Love has demanded a trade before the start of the season and is threatening to opt-out of his contract and sign elsewhere if his wish is not granted.

So there you have it, for now at least.

Onto more from around the NBA

• Stan Van Gundy assures Josh Smith that he is likely to remain with the Pistons: “Detroit Pistons president and coach Stan Van Gundy reached out to forward Josh Smith to tell him that reports of the franchise engaging in substantive trade talks with Sacramento centered on Smith have been inaccurate and – barring an unexpected turn of events – Smith will be in training camp with the Pistons this fall, league sources told Yahoo Sports. Sacramento had made calls about Smith in June, but Detroit never heard an offer that remotely interested them and never seriously engaged in discussions, sources told Yahoo Sports. Since his hiring in the spring, Van Gundy has had productive discussions with Smith and sources say that Smith has been enthusiastic about moving forward with Van Gundy as coach.”

• The Phoenix Suns expect Eric Bledsoe to return for next season: “”We’ll continue to work as hard as we can within that restricted free agency system established by the collective bargaining agreement,” Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby said Monday. “We continue to hope and expect that he will remain in a Suns uniform.” The Suns have been negotiating with Bledsoe but also have the ability to match any offer sheet he might sign with another team. The Suns have offered a four-year, $48 million contract that is the equivalent of what free agency’s other top point guard, Kyle Lowry, signed as an unrestricted free agent to remain in Toronto.”

• New Pacers guard Rodney Stuckey is seeking wins, not money: ““I’ve been in Detroit for sevens years, a lot of ups and downs, a lot of different situations, a lot of different coaches – six in seven years,” he said. “But you live and learn, you grow from every situation. I just want to thank Detroit for giving me that opportunity to make my NBA dreams come true by drafting me. It’s a fresh start, and I’m excited for it.” The 15th pick in the 2007 draft by the Pistons, Stuckey was part of a team that won 59 games and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals before losing to the eventual champs, the Boston Celtics, in six games. But over the next six seasons, his Pistons teams failed to crack .500, and never won more than 39 games. Their combined win total from the past two seasons (58) fell one win short of that 2007-08 season. “I hate losing,” he said. “It’s never fun when you’re losing, especially when you have to go through it for 82 games. I think if you win, everyone looks good.””

• Chicago’s Nikola Mirotic has become the best paid European rookie in NBA history: “There’s been no shortage of European lottery selections in the NBA in the last 15 years, but surprisingly it’s a No. 23 pick that’s getting the richest rookie deal for a Euro coming into the league. Montenegrin forward Nikola Mirotic will become this season the best paid European rookie in the history of the NBA with a first-year salary of $5,305,000 – clearly ahead of the $4.5 million Italian big man Andrea Bargnani commanded in 2006. Mirotic’s deal with the Chicago Bulls calls for him to make $16.6 million in three years, which will be more than enough to offset the $3 million he will have to pay Real Madrid for his contract buyout.”

• If Donald Sterling remains a part of the Los Angeles Clippers, Doc Rivers will likely want out: “The interim CEO of the Los Angeles Clippers testified in state court Tuesday afternoon that coach and team president Doc Rivers has told him on multiple occasions that he doesn’t think he wants to continue as coach if Donald Sterling remains owner of the team. Dick Parsons said he’s talked to Rivers, several players and key sponsors who are troubled by Sterling’s continued ownership of the franchise, which is being adjudicated in a California probate court. At issue is whether Shelly Sterling acted properly in selling the franchise for a record $2 billion to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, without her husband’s expressed consent.”

Ben Baroff is a basketball journalist who blogs for SheridanHoops.com. Follow him on Twitter here.