Big news is developing this afternoon as the Kevin Love trade rumors continue to gain steam just one week from the NBA Draft.
The latest comes from ESPN’s Marc Stein, who reports the Golden State Warriors have made sharpshooting guard Klay Thompson available to the Wolves.
ESPN sources say Golden State has indeed made Klay Thompson available to Wolves, greatly increasingly Warriors' hopes of getting Kevin Love
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 19, 2014
The news was actually broken by Thompson’s father, Mychal Thompson, who starred for the Gophers, Trail Blazers and Lakers in the 1970s and 80s. Thompson, Slam Magazine reports, told ESPN 710 in Los Angeles that the Wolves would send Love and shooting guard Kevin Martin to the Warriors for Thompson, power forward David Lee and a future No. 1 draft pick.
The report comes on the heels of a report by the Boston Herald’s Baxter Holmes who said the Warriors, Bulls and Nuggets were the leading candidates to land the Wolves’ best player.
https://twitter.com/BaxterHolmes/status/479313184000466944
The addition of Thompson is something Jon Krawczynski believed the Timberwolves knew would happen all along.
The idea that GSW would ever be able to land Love w/o including Klay was laughable. Wolves knew it would get to this point.
— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) June 19, 2014
One reason that Golden State may be willing to move Thompson is that he will be a restricted free agent after the season, and it would be hard for the Warriors to offer him the max deal, he is likely to be seeking.
Key factor: Klay Thompson (one year left on deal) will be looking for max money & GS payroll already up there. GS still negotiating though.
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) June 19, 2014
ESPN’s Chris Broussard tweeted that a trade is not imminent, but the addition of Thompson improves Golden State’s chances in the Love sweepstakes.
Stay tuned for more as the story develops.
