That essentially clears cap space for the Twolves to make a full restart for their franchise. If you think that's a stupid idea then stop talking about trading for Love. Only way they do it is if the Knicks clean them out.

Amare and Tyson with Rubio and their youth still can make them competitive since they run everything through Rubio...pick and roll city.

The Knicks would probably have to lose Shump or Thjr along with 2018 1st rounder, but the Knicks can put out Love, Melo, Pekovic, and Kevin Martin... They still need that point guard, but the Knicks should be able to get a cheap one or do another salary cap deal for one.

Thoughts you closed minded hippies.

All trade-rumor hell broke loose once Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski revealed that Kevin Love doesn't plan on remaining with the Minnesota Timberwolves beyond next season. And as we should all know by now, raising trade-rumor hell is something the Knicks pride themselves on.

According to the New York Post's Marc Berman, Jackson has been "plotting" to whisk Love away from Minnesota for some time:

The Knicks believe they have the expiring contracts — Tyson Chandler and Iman Shumpert in particular — the Wolves might want so Minnesota can keep cap space to go after the star-studded 2015 free agent class.

But the Knicks can’t give up a first-round pick until 2018. Saving that 2018 first-round pick for a potential Love deal was one of the factors in the Knicks deciding not to offer it to Toronto during Kyle Lowry talks.

If true, this isn't some decision Jackson and the Knicks are making on a whim. Kyle Lowry was linked to the Knicks before Jackson even officially joined the team. Their refusal to deal that 2018 first-round pick suggests this Love pursuit has been in the works for a while.

Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News confirmed Berman's report, and added that Love is intrigued at idea of playing in New York.

“He wants to go to a big market and play in a winning situation," a league source told Lawrence. “Of course he is interested in the Knicks."

And of course the Knicks are interested in him. They're the Knicks.

To be sure, the Timberwolves have tried to quell any and all chatter already.

“Not by the draft,” Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor said when asked about the possibility of trading Love, per the Star Tribune's Jerry Zgoda.

Attempts to silence or temper conjecture mean little at this point. Rumors will continue to run wild, and there's really nothing Minnesota can do to stop it.

Love has long been considered a potential selling point for free-agent-to-be Carmelo Anthony. The bearded forward is slated to reach the open market in 2015, when the Knicks will have enough cap space to land another star. Never mind that Anthony thrives at power forward, the position Love plays. This pairing will just work itself out—by never coming to fruition.

Even if the Knicks see Love coexisting with Anthony, even if they see him as a Plan B should the latter bolt in free agency, their chances of acquiring him are less than zero. Plenty of other teams with more appealing offers are going to be involved.

Do the Knicks have a realistic shot at landing Kevin Love?
Yes, they have enough to trade for him. Only if he hits free agency. No, Love won't be joining the Knicks via trade or free agency. Submit Vote vote to see results

Between Wojnarowski and ESPN.com's Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne, we know that the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bulls, Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets are expected to make an aggressive play for the three-time All-Star. Each and every one of those teams has the ability to offer more than the Knicks can. The lone exception might be the Lakers, should their lottery pick diminish in value by way of unfriendly pingpong balls.

The Knicks only become realistic suitors in this feeding frenzy if Love exerts his leverage over the Timberwolves to the fullest extent. He would have to will his way to New York, forcing Minnesota to accept whatever the Knicks are offering.

Yet even then, the odds aren't stacked in New York's favor. Leverage only means so much, as Bleacher Report's Stephen Babb explained:

With the draft around the corner, rumors about Love's fate are sure to remain par for the course. He's one of the league's very best players, and he's on a team that can't crack .500 at the moment. But the eagerness to be traded—if it indeed exists—doesn't necessarily translate into a practical deal.

Free agency was and will remain the Knicks' best chance at acquiring Love. If he hits the open market next summer, assets and draft picks won't matter as much. They'll have the money to sign him, the means to realistically chase him.

Right now, they have little of value to offer.

Unless, you know, the Timberwolves accept payment in the form of pet unicorns and basketball-dominating dragons.

mreinman wrote:

EnySpree wrote:If we trade Amare and Tyson for Love, Kevin Martin and Pekovic....

That essentially clears cap space for the Twolves to make a full restart for their franchise. If you think that's a stupid idea then stop talking about trading for Love. Only way they do it is if the Knicks clean them out.

Amare and Tyson with Rubio and their youth still can make them competitive since they run everything through Rubio...pick and roll city.

The Knicks would probably have to lose Shump or Thjr along with 2018 1st rounder, but the Knicks can put out Love, Melo, Pekovic, and Kevin Martin... They still need that point guard, but the Knicks should be able to get a cheap one or do another salary cap deal for one.

Thoughts you closed minded hippies.

Wow - the other team would not be able to get any rebounds

So we would have the best rebound front court in history

And we would have the worst passing back court in history

Triangle offense perhaps?

That's what Phil wants, and cleaning the Twolves out does this for you. All or nothing. Minnesota would totally have to consider something like this.

Nalod wrote:
Love has to pull a Melo and will his way to us and endure a season of being booed by fans testing their, Timberwolves, and Loves resolve!

It's the only way we have a prayer...

salary relief doesn't mean much b/c there is a minimum league payroll that needs to be met and nobody is going to sign in minny anyways.

in other words, the knicks have nothing to offer minny directly. they will need to get another team(s) involved.

gsw can offer klay + barnes + lee for kl and filler.
lakers can offer a top 5 pick in this draft plus future picks.

teams like the knicks + houston + chicago need other teams involved.

kl puts up gawdy offensive numbers but is one of the worst defensive bigs in the league. bosh in toronto at least was decent defensively and took it to another level in miami. kl will need some epic defenders on the roster around him. he's a high quality #3 guy on a championship level team. as a #2 guy, you can win alot of games but there's a reason his teams can't make the playoffs.

and kl is forcing this trade now to get his 5th year so it will have to be a team he wants to re-sign with.

Say goodby to Hardaway, Shumpert, Tyler, Aldrich and our 2018 pick if talks even get that far.

Why can't we just wait till 2015 and sign him as a FA and give up nothing?

Nalod wrote:Melo to GS or Houston for assets used in a love trade.

Rondo and pick to Houston, Parsons to Boston, picks to Minny with Lin and Asik. Peckovic to Boston.

Some how in the mix move Tyson or Bargnani.

And open us cap space......For lebron.

Love and Lebron............

Some convoluted crap like that.

Usually big crap like this don't happen. Teams don't like to facilitate blockbusters because some team pulls out it gets unraveled too quickly.

Does it work in trade checker?

for example: the raptors could get involved. salmons is only guaranteed $1 mil next year.

so we trade salmons for jeff green and their #17 pick. cutting $8 mil off their books next year putting their salary at $38 mil.

then boston can move their top pick this year + one of those nets picks + olynyk to minny for love.

but not only can they absorb love's deal w/o taking back salary but it still gives them max room to sign melo outright while still having rondo under contract.