Wolves decision to hold max contract could have devastating consequences for team rebuilding efforts three years from now.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have everything working for them this season, with a strengthened and improved roster over last season that is anticipated to give the other teams in the Western Conference a run for their money. The Wolves new additions have played well so far in the preseason games, and with the likes of Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio in the team, they are looking like strong contenders for the playoffs next season. However, in the midst of all the excitement and anticipation that the franchise and the city is going through, there is one small thorn in the team’s path to glory, which could prove to be a deciding factor for the franchise some years from now.
The Wolves decided against giving their franchise player and All Star Kevin Love a max extension, and instead gave him a four year deal with a player option in the final year. The decision by the team had fans as well as basketball analysts puzzled, as Love has proven his value to the team over the past few seasons and had a remarkable last season where he was in MVP conversation, made the All Star game as well as the US Olympic Basketball team. And sadly for the Wolves front office, Love still hasn’t forgotten the fact that he was not given a max extension.
Love talked openly about his extension deal and his disappointment with the team over not getting the max offer in a recent interview with the National Post.
“That’s because I wanted to be here. I wanted them to say, 'When people think Minnesota Timberwolves, they think Kevin Love.' And I felt with my contract we didn’t really do that. A lot of people looked at me and said, 'Oh, he doesn’t want a four-year deal?' No. I wanted to be the guy. The fact that I worked as hard as I possibly could and made my mark in many different ways, even after last season, I felt I was a little bit slighted. I’m past that now,” said Love.
The Wolves front office decided against giving Love the max offer to keep it for a later time, if they ever need to give another player the max deal to retain him. Some say it was kept for upcoming point guard Ricky Rubio, but the fact is that the Wolves wanted to keep that flexibility for the future. However, in doing so, they might have put the Wolves future at risk.
Although the team is much improved from last year, it is still a long shot from being a championship contender, and by the time they reach that mark, provided they do reach that mark, Love’s contract will be over. Three seasons from now, Love will have the option of opting out of his contract and signing with another team. And if by that time he is not happy with the progress of the Wolves, he could easily switch teams for more money or a better chance at winning the championship, which would be a big blow to the Wolves rebuilding efforts. There is still plenty of time till we find out if the Wolves decision was right or not, but certainly there is the risk of losing Love at a time when the Wolves would be close to becoming a championship franchise.
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