NBA
NBA Rumors: Negotiations For Love Heating Up
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated27 Oct 2023
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The Minnesota Timberwolves and Cleveland Cavaliers have discussed a blockbuster trade centered on Kevin Love and the league’s past two No. 1 draft picks, league sources told ESPN.
In an attempt to add Love, a three-time All-Star, the Cavaliers are willing to part with Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett.
The negotiations for star forward Kevin Love continue. Yesterday Bob Finnan of The News-Herald and the Morning Journal reported that the Cleveland Cavaliers are now willing to include number one overall pick Andrew Wiggins in a deal for Love.
Chris Broussard now reports that the Cavaliers are willing to include Wiggins, last year’s number one overall pick Anthony Bennett, and next year’s first-round pick. The Cavaliers are in direct competition with the Golden State Warriors, who have been negotiating with Timberwolves for weeks in an attempt to bring Love to the Bay Area.
A sticking point for the Warriors has been their reluctance to include shooting guard Klay Thompson in any deal for Love. However, Yannis Koutroupis of Basketball Insiders reported on Thursday that Golden State is ramping up its efforts to acquire Love, and are now willing to include Thompson since Love is reportedly willing to exercise his 2015-16 option if acquired by Cleveland.
There is a lot of momentum behind a deal for Love being executed, especially with the report from Adrian Wojnarowksi of Yahoo Sports that LeBron James has personally reached out to Love and expressed his desire to play with him. James has already shown how much power he has within the Cavaliers organization, and if he really insists on Cleveland acquiring Love, they will do what it takes to make that happen. Standing in Cleveland’s way is Golden State, who may have a slight edge if they surrender Thompson, as it is believed that Timberwolves president Flip Saunders is looking for players that can contribute right away.
Andrew Bynum for 2015?
The 7-foot Bynum may not be reuniting with Phil Jackson’s Knicks or any other team next season because he is seriously contemplating sitting out 2014-15 to undergo the Germany-based knee therapy called “The Regenokine Program’’ that would require an extra long rehab, according to his agent David Lee. But he could be in play for the following season.
Last season Andrew Bynum signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who soon after traded him to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for small forward Luol Deng. The Bulls immediately waived Bynum (strategically saving cap space), who went on to sign a deal with the Indiana Pacers, appearing in just two games.
Now it looks as though Bynum will go to Germany to undergo Orthokine-Therapy, known in the United States as the Regenokine program. Bynum underwent knee treatment in Germany in 2012, which delayed his debut with the Philadelphia 76ers (who he never ended up playing for).
The procedure was developed by molecular biologist Dr. Julio Reinecke and German orthopedic surgeon Dr. Peter Wehling. It attacks the biological mechanisms that cause osteoarthritis and joint pain, blocking the protein that contributes to the breakdown of cartilage. Kobe Bryant has undergone this same procedure more than once, and credits it with helping him maintain his high level of play.
The hope is that the procedure, plus the extended rest, will help restore Bynum’s ailing knees that have kept him off the floor the last few seasons. In the 2011-2012 season, Bynum averaged 18.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.9 blocks per game. He was then famously traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in a three-team trade that netted the Los Angeles Lakers former Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard.
The market for Bynum heading into next season is small, if non-existent. A year away, with extensive rehab may make him an intriguing option heading into the 2015-2016 NBA season.
Among USA Basketball Select Team invitees to Las Vegas, sources tell Yahoo. Marcus Smart, Doug McDermott, Victor Oladipo, Tobias Harris.
Sources: More invitees to USA Basketball training camp to work against national team: Brooklyn’s Mason Plumlee and Phoenix’s Miles Plumlee.
via Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports – Twitter
On Thursday, Adrian Wojnarowksi of Yahoo Sports reported that the USA National Team invited Marcus Smart, Doug McDermott, Victor Oladipo, Tobias Harris, along with Mason and Miles Plumlee to the USA Select team to compete against the National Team candidates.
There was a period of time where the USA National Basketball program could not get a good amount of the top NBA players to commit to playing internationally. However, National Team Managing Director Jerry Colangelo and Duke University head coach Mike Krzyzewski have turned the program around over the last few years, which has led to stiffer competition among players and more long-term commitments. Joining the Select team is a step towards earning an invitation to compete for a roster spot for the Olympics and FIBA World Cup competitions.
The inclusion of these young players gives them a chance to become acquainted with the program, and the slightly different rules of FIBA basketball. The National team and Select team will hold a camp in Las Vegas from June 28 through August 1 in preparation for the FIBA World Cup to be held in Spain later this summer.
