In a move that transforms them from an intriguing contender to a possible favorite in the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers have reached an agreement in principle to acquire power forward Kevin Love from the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to a person in basketball briefed on the deal.
The Cavaliers, in return, have agreed to send the Timberwolves a sizable package: the N.B.A.'s past two No. 1 picks, Andrew Wiggins, 19, and Anthony Bennett, 21; and a future first-round draft pick.
The deal, which was first reported Thursday by Yahoo Sports, cannot be made official until Aug. 23. (A player in the N.B.A. - in this case, Wiggins - cannot be traded until one month after signing a first-year contract.)
Once the trade is completed, Love, 25, a three-time All-Star, will team with LeBron James and point guard Kyrie Irving to form one of the game's most formidable groupings of stars. And it will complete a stunning makeover for the Cavaliers, who last month brought James back to Cleveland on a two-year, $42.1 million contract.
Love, who played with James on the United States men's basketball team at the 2012 Olympics, averaged 26.1 points, 12.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists a game last season, while shooting 45.7 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from 3-point range.
At 6-foot-10, he is considered one of the game's best rebounders and is a threat from long range, a skill set that will complement the ball handling and shooting abilities of James and Irving.
Love had previously told the Timberwolves that he would not come back to Minnesota upon opting out of his current contract next summer and asked to be traded before the end of this summer. As part of the move to Cleveland, Love agreed to opt out of his contract after the season and sign a five-year extension with the Cavaliers.
The Timberwolves will move forward with a copious bundle of raw talent. Wiggins has thus far been projected as a two-way star, but he will nevertheless require some refinement on offense. Bennett struggled in his rookie season, to the point that some were declaring him a bust, but he did make a promising showing last month in the N.B.A. summer league, and his potential is clearly untapped.
Speculation that James was hoping to lead an overhaul of the Cavaliers' roster began as soon as he wrote a first-person essay for Sports Illustrated's website. In it, he mentioned how excited he was to play with Irving and Anderson Varejao, the team's longtime center. But he made no mention of Wiggins or Bennett.
Post By http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/08/sports/basketball/cavaliers-reach-deal-to-acquire-timberwolves-kevin-love.html
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