Is an NBA shakeup on the horizon?
Following a slow start by the Cleveland Cavaliers, rumors have already started swirling that Kevin Love will choose to opt out of his contract after the season ends. Sam Smith, who covers the Chicago Bulls, notes in a recent article that LeBron James and Kevin Love both can opt out if they choose. While LeBron almost certainly will not leave Cleveland because of the ensuing public relations nightmare (he may choose to opt out simply for financial reason, however), Kevin Love could be a serious threat to leave.
Love Details "Exhausting" Offseason
Everyone knows that Kevin Love has a soft spot for the Los Angeles Lakers. He has mentioned wanting to play for the Lakers before, and he grew up in southern California and played his college basketball at UCLA. It is no secret that the Lakers covet Love and want him to be the next superstar in a long line of Laker legends.
Of course, the resident superstar in Los Angeles is Kobe Bryant. Many panned his two-year contract extension as a gross overpay. At the time, it reeked of paying an aging player for their past performance with no regard for future returns, and although Bryant has not played poorly this season, he is certainly not worthy of being one of the highest-paid players in the NBA.
Kobe Has Missed More Shots than Anyone, Ever
Smith also thinks that with Kobe's career winding down and the Lakers in rebuilding mode, the best move for both sides might be to part ways, and he speculated in a recent article that the Washington Wizards would make a good landing spot.
A trade centered on a Kobe Bryant-Bradley Beal swap would theoretically benefit both sides. Adding Kobe would give the Wizards a legitimate shot to win an Eastern Conference that appears short on championship contenders. For the Lakers, getting Beal would give them a budding star at shooting guard - probably the shallowest position in the NBA - and a young piece that could help entice players like Kevin Love to join the Lakers through free agency.
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