Traditionally, guys who just signed four-year max deals don’t sit down and bash the team that just gave them a huge payday.
But Kevin Love doesn’t fit your mold, on or off the court. So when he sat down with Adrian Wojnarowski he said what he felt — that him not getting the five-year max (they are saving that for Ricky Rubio) and how the entire thing was handled left a bad taste in his mouth. And in three years, if he’s not happy with where the team is, he might opt out and see who else wants his services.
But Love sat down with the Timberwolves management on Tuesday and told them he wants to make it work here, but he doesn’t regret what he said. He just regrets not talking to them first. From the Star-Tribune when Love spoke to the media at Wednesday’s shootaround:“I meant what I said, I told David there’s nothing to apologize about,” Love said. “The only thing I was sorry about is that I did in public and if there’s a learning experience from that, it’s not to do that again.
“A lot of athletes these days say the right thing and aren’t outspoken. I happen to be in this article. I’m not going to go forward and say I have anything to apologize about. I said what I felt. I didn’t mean to alienate my team, my coaches, the organization or more importantly the fans...I said a lot of things about the team and were we’re at this point and I’ll continue to say it throughout the year because that’s how I feel.”
Love went to the Olympic Training Camp in Las Vegas and lobbed bombs back to Minnesota saying he wanted to see the roster upgraded. He got his wish.
“I’ve mentioned it this summer, it keeps coming up again. The acquisitions we made this off-season, I’m very happy with. As far as the state of the team, I think we’re fine.”
When asked if wants to be the cornerstone of this franchise long term, he said, “Oh absolutely. One of the big points, I want to be here for five years. I’d love to end my career as a Timberwolf.”
What Love wants is to win. And as a franchise cornerstone player he has the leverage to push the Timberwolves management to get the team in that position or else. What he got with his four-year deal was an opt-out after three years — the same kind of leverage LeBron James, Chris Bosh and others used to hold over their franchises.
It’s simple, if Minnesota builds a team where Love feels respected and thinks he has a shot at a ring, he stays. If not, he looks around. And then finds out the grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence.
