Should Kevin Love Stay or Leave Minnesota?

Kevin Love will be a free agent in the summer of 2015 if he declines a player option with Minnesota Timberwolves. For now it appears he likes playing at the Target Center.

Love said in an interview with GQ that he is comfortable playing for the Timberwolves:

"People think that is so far-fetched that I would stay in Minnesota. And I'm not (expletive) on the Lakers, but we have the better team, the better foundation. I'm having fun."

 

The Timberwolves are in prime position to nab a playoff start as the second half of the NBA season is beginning. Minnesota is 25-28 and six games behind the eighth seed in the Western Conference.

As for the those rumors, the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks said they are interested in trading for the All-Star. Thursday is the deadline for NBA teams to strike a deal. For Love, would those teams be good landing spots?

The Lakers are 18-35, and tied for second worst record in the Western Conference. Los Angeles is old, too. Bryant is 35, and is coming off injury. Steve Nash is 40, Steve Blake is 33, and Pau Gasol is 33.

Los Angeles isn't financially set, either. Bryant is the highest-paid player in the NBA, and has two more years left on his contract he signed back in November. Meanwhile, Nash  has one more year on his contract and is owed 9.7 million.

So, at 25, Love would likely be going into a situation where a window for a championship is closing. The only upsides for the Lakers is a possible lottery pick, and the ability to pair a young star with the Minnesota All-Star. Love is also a California native, which could persuade him to move back home.

The other team pursuing Love is Dallas, and the Mavericks are 32-23. Dallas is currently the eight seed currently. But they are old, just like the Lakers. Dirk Nowitzki is 35, Shawn Marion is 35, Vince Carter is 37, and Jose Calderon is 32. The only piece may be Monta Ellis and he is 28.

The last option is stay in Minnesota. Love could have a chance to get the Timberwolves back to the playoffs for the first time in nine years, and his team is youthful, and exciting to watch.

Minnesota's star forward and point guard Ricky Rubio are finally both healthy, and have built solid chemistry with the rest of their teammates, Nikola Pekovic, Corey Brewer, and Kevin Martin. (Pekovic missed Wednesday's game and Martin is out indefinitely currently).

It's all up to Love though, and it's sounding from his interview with GQ that Timberwolves fans can keep loving their star forward.