It’s been reported that the deal between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves for Kevin Love is pretty much done but there could be one snag in the agreement.
Both teams have been careful not to say too much regarding the deal but one thing that was well known is that the Cavaliers want Kevin Love to agree to a long term contract. As they are giving up their No. 1 draft pick Andrew Wiggins, it would be a great disappointment if Love left after just one year. Love previously said he would not agree to a long term deal and wanted to be a free agent next year. Things then changed when Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reported that “Cleveland is making the deal with Minnesota with a firm agreement Love will opt out of his contract in 2015 and re-sign with the Cavaliers on a five-year, $120 million-plus contract extension.” Well that very tidbit could void the deal altogether as it’s an illegal agreement in terms of the new CBA.
Brian Windhorst and Marc Stein of ESPN.com:
But sources say that the Cavs and Wolves, knowing that league officials are monitoring this transaction closely, have been careful not to make any public acknowledgments that trade details have already been agreed to. That’s because Wiggins remains ineligible to move moved until 30 days pass from the signing his rookie contract.
The Cavs were granted permission last month by Minnesota to speak to Love and his representatives in an introductory fashion, sources say, while James and Love have also been in direct contact about their long-term intentions of playing together in recent weeks. But sources insist that no agreement for Love to sign an extension in Cleveland next summer when he can become a free agent is in place.
Under NBA rules, such an agreement would be illegal and, if proven, potentially could be grounds for the league to block this trade and dole out punishment to both teams. The Wolves were infamously sanctioned heavily in 2000 after it was discovered that the club had promised a lucrative future contract — in writing — to Joe Smith, incurring a fine of $3.5 million and the loss of four first-round picks as well as suspensions for owner Glen Taylor and then-GM Kevin McHale.
