Add Boston to the list of teams Kevin Love would like to play for.
The Timberwolves’ All-Star forward, who the team is not trying to trade despite Love making it clear that he wants out of Minnesota, would reportedly play for the Celtics if that’s where he was traded, according to a report from CSNNE. If true, Boston would join Los Angeles and New York as cities where Love would like to play.
Via CSNNE:
A source close to Love told Welsh that the three-time All-star, “wants to play for an organization that’s going to be a winning organization; not necessarily I have to go to a championship team now, but a team that’s going to be built to move in that direction. Maybe it’ll take a couple years. That’s OK. But he needs a change from Minnesota.”
Although the Celtics are coming off a 25-57 season, Boston has several draft picks in the coming years in addition to young talent such as Jared Sullinger and Kelly Olynyk along with four-time All-Star Rajon Rondo.
And while it has been reported that Love wants to return out West, Welsh’s source said that Love is open to what he believes is the best situation in terms of winning.
“He (Love) is not one of those guys that’s saying, “I want to go to Miami. I want to go to L.A.,” the hype cities,” Welsh said. “Now would he prefer L.A.? His girlfriend lives there. She’s an actress. He went to college there (at UCLA). He was born there.”
Welsh added, “but he’s a professional. He wants to go where there’s the best opportunity for him which would be in a winning organization and he respects the history of the Celtics.”
The last time Boston was in the lottery was 2007 when they had the fifth overall pick. They drafted Jeff Green, but traded him to Seattle (now Oklahoma City) as part of a trade for Ray Allen and a second round pick used to select Glen Davis.
That set into motion Boston’s blockbuster trade in the summer which netted them Kevin Garnett.
And with that, Banner 17 was born.
“He respects (Celtics president of basketball operations) Danny Ainge,” Welsh said. “He’s already built it once. If he (Ainge) can sell him, ‘here’s the plan for the future,’ he’s open to it.”
