Everyone around the NBA is currently talking about the revamped Cleveland Cavaliers. After acquiring LeBron James, the Cavs performed another blockbuster move this summer, when they traded away their last two No.1 draft picks, Antony Bennett and Andrew Wiggins to the Minnesota Timberwolves, in exchange for megastar forward Kevin Love. There is no doubt that the Cavs will now be one of the top favorites for the NBA Championship but are the Wolves the big winners out of this deal?
Looking at the exchange Minnesota got for shipping away Love, it’s obvious that there is huge value inside. Although Andrew Wiggins has yet to make his debut in the NBA, he showed some great and very promising signs during the Las Vegas Summer League. Some questioned his ability to be a contributor on offense and even his NBA-readiness. The 19 – year old future star replied to all those questions with his on-court performances.
Minnesota Timberwolves: The big winners out of the Kevin Love deal?
Wiggins is considered to be the best athlete to enter the league since LeBron James. And some believe that the Cavs are making a huge mistake by trading him away, especially for an exchange like Kevin Love. In other words, Love was greatly productive during his Timberwolves era and there is no doubt he is one of the best power forwards in the league. But now that he will be playing alongside a boulder like LeBron James and also Kyrie Irving, will he be that much dominant? And on the other hand, Wiggins showed so much potential, that in a couple of years from now and if he follows a rational improvement rate, he may make his first appearance in an All-Star game.
Add in Anthony Bennett and a protected first-round pick in 2015 as a part of the package the Timberwolves got and you can clearly figure out why some say the Wolves “stole” Cleveland. In reality, what the Cavs did was to risk future success for immediate title contention. There was no other easy-fit solution for this Cavaliers team. Cleveland had a dilemma with Wiggins’s case and it chose the path of instant success chase.
It remains to be seen if this Cavaliers team, with the Big Three of Irving, LeBron and Love is capable of truly contending for the championship.
The certain fact is that the Minnesota Timberwolves will enter the next season full of optimism. The addition of Andrew Wiggins will give a breath of fresh air to the team. Wiggins will have all the room he needs to grow his confidence and flower into a dominant player. And finally, Ricky Rubio may blend well with the team’s main offensive weapon.
Anthony Bennett didn’t record a good season in 2013 – 2014 but he is ready to bounce back. And even if the Wolves trade him away, they will definitely get something valuable in exchange (like Thaddeus Young). It wouldn’t be excessive to state that the Minnesota Timberwolves now stand more chances to make the playoffs than last season.
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Thank you for reading. Ron Leyba is the lead editor of Fantasy Basketball Money Leagues, and a LastWordOnSports NBA Analyst. For more of his articles, follow his updates at Google+ or follow him on Twitter – @ronniedare. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport and “liking” our Facebook page.
