Kevin Love is one of the best players in the league, so it should come as no surprise that many teams are interested in acquiring him now that he's on the trading block. There have been rumors and leaks suggesting that the Cleveland Cavaliers would be willing to send the Minnesota Timberwolves an offer of Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett, and a draft pick in exchange for Love. Now, Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops has reported that the Chicago Bulls have submitted their offer for Kevin Love:
EXCLUSIVE: #Bulls have offered Taj Gibson, Nikola Mirotic and Doug McDermott to #Twolves for K.Love, per NBA source. http://t.co/mi14wy3EvV
— Chris Sheridan (@sheridanhoops) July 23, 2014
While there is no way to prove at this time whether or not this offer is legitmate, an offer like this could put a lot of pressure on the Cavaliers to up their offer, and it basically shuts the door on any offer that does not include Wiggins. While nobody in this package has the star power of Wiggins, Nikola Mirotic has been said to be the best player alive that isn't in the NBA, Doug McDermott was reportedly very high on the draft board of Flip Saunders and Taj Gibson presents Minnesota with someone that can start while MIrotic is groomed and helps keep franchise cornerstone Ricky Rubio happy as he nears free agency.
There has been talk that Minnesota, and more specifically Flip Saunders, does not want to bottom out and would like to remain competitive even after losing Kevin Love. If this is true, Chicago's offer may potentially be enough to trump the offer from the Cavs given the presence of immediate help in Gibson and a potential all star in Mirotic.
Again, we have no way of knowing whether or not this deal is on the table or if this is just a negotiation tactic by the Timberwolves. We also don't know how Minnestoa would truly view this package in comparision to the Cavs' offer. But this is a clear step up from other rumored offers from teams other than the Cavs.