Kevin Love is having a monster season. He’s 4th in scoring (25.6 ppg) and 2nd in rebounding (14.3 rpg).
At age 23, Love is considered one of the game’s rising stars. One would assume the Wolves are prepared to open the vault in order to keep him in a Wolves uniform. Maybe not:
Love, 23, who is playing for $4.6 million this season, can become a restricted free agent after the season unless he signs an extension before Jan. 25. If he opts for free agency, the Wolves would have the right to match any outside offer. Love also can return to Minnesota in 2012-13 for $6.1 million and become an unrestricted free agent after the season.
Wolves President David Kahn isn’t commenting on contract talks, and Love says he’s unaware of the status of negotiations. The Wolves, though, want to get Love signed by next week.
Love, one of five players in NBA history to start a season with 13 double-doubles (points-rebounds), is the Wolves’ fifth-highest-paid player.
$60 million is not chump change, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable for Love to want max-money. See Derrick Rose’s 5 years, $94.8 million contract.
GMs around the league are waiting for Minnesota to screw this up. Let’s hope Danny Ainge can capitalize.
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