Now that the news is out that Kevin Love has opted out of his contract in Cleveland, rumors will be(and already are) flying around about which teams will be pursuing him and where he will sign. The Celtics are one team expected to go after Love. They went after him last year but he chose to be a third wheel on an elite team rather than be the star on a middling team. The Celtics won’t give up now though.
From the Twitter page of Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports:
Sources: If Kevin Love goes forward with visits in July, expect Boston to sell him on pursuing group of Love, Robin Lopez and…Paul Pierce.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) June 24, 2015
There are reports that Boston doesn’t have good odds when it comes to landing Love, and those reports definitely make sense. After all, would Kevin Love really be tempted to go play with Robin Lopez and a 37-year old Paul Pierce when he could remain in Cleveland and play with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving? The idea is laughable. I hope that Danny Ainge knows something that we don’t or else Boston won’t have a chance in hell of signing Love.
Tons of teams are likely to aim for Love this offseason. Everybody wants an elite stretch four who crashes the boards(although he isn’t great defensively). Love will have tons of options, including re-signing with the Cavs, as Cleveland’s GM David Griffin believes he will do.
Who knows where Love will end up? We’ll just have to wait and see. If Love’s thinking the same way he did last season, he’s likely to choose Cleveland over Boston. However, there are plenty of other teams in play, so he could pick a different team entirely.
Another side of this story is that Boston is apparently confidant that they could land Robin Lopez and Paul Pierce. Typically teams try to woo free agents using players that are actually on their roster. Then again, Danny Ainge is somewhat of a magician when it comes to making moves in free agency, so you never know. Maybe he’s been in touch with Lopez and Pierce. Having those two players would definitely be helpful for Boston. A big defensive-minded center is exactly what the Celtics need, and the return of Paul Pierce would make Boston fans cry tears of joy.
It might be tough for Boston to convince Pierce to jump ship in D.C. and join the Celtics. After all, there isn’t a single player on the roster that was on Pierce’s 2008 championship team, and his former head coach Doc Rivers is in Los Angeles coaching the Clippers. If Pierce were to leave the Wizards, it sounds like the Clippers are the most likely office. However, Boston can offer Pierce something that other teams can’t, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.
What could the #Celtics offer Paul Pierce that other teams likely wouldn't? A front office position after he retires. Pierce wants to be GM
— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) June 24, 2015
Pierce going back to Boston would be similar to Kevin Garnett returning to Minnesota, where he’ll likely pick up a front office job after retiring, and could be a factor in Pierce’s decision. Plus, the fans already know and love Pierce in Boston; he would have their unconditional love and support.
