Love expected to complete move on August 23 with Wiggins heading to Minnesota…
Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James has revealed that he is excited about the prospect of Kevin Love joining the franchise later this month.
It is widely reported that Love will complete his move to Cleveland on August 23, with rookie Andrew Wiggins ineligible for trade for 30 days after signing a contract with the Cavs.
In addition to the 2014 No.1 overall Draft pick, Anthony Bennett and a future first-round pick will also be included in the deal to sign the Minnesota Timberwolves power forward, and James is excited about playing alongside his international team-mate.
“I don’t even really care about the 26 [points] and 12 [rebounds], I care about his basketball IQ,” James said, ESPN reports.
“His basketball IQ is very, very high. I had the opportunity to spend 32 days with him in the 2012 Olympics. He was huge for us … he’s a great piece.”
James erred on the side of caution and refused to go into more detail given that he could infringe league rules as the move has yet to be officially concluded, but it is clear that he backs the move and believes that it will ultimately help the Cavaliers achieve their goal next season.
Mike Miller, James Jones and possibly Ray Allen will form a formidable roster which already contains the likes of Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters, and unsurprisingly optimism is particularly high within the camp ahead of the new season.
Love had attracted interest from both the Golden State Warriors and Chicago Bulls in recent months, but while the latter was disinterested in parting company with Klay Thompson, the Bulls were not willing to sacrifice significant role players in order to sign the 25-year-old.
The power forward has also revealed that he will not opt out and test free agency next summer and will be willing to sign a long-term contract, with James also announcing his intention to stay in Cleveland for the foreseeable future.
Meanwhile, it is understood that Minnesota will target Philadelphiaa 76ers star Thaddeus Young as a replacement, and could yet be involved in a three-team trade deal.
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