The forthcoming trade between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Cleveland Cavaliers could involve veteran point guard JJ Barea, a source close to situation reported on Friday.
ESPN reported that Kevin Love to Cavaliers is now a done deal, as president of basketball operations Flip Saunders are convinced their star player really want to get out of the Twin City.
However, the Cavaliers might need a third team for the blockbuster trade to materialize. The Wolves are planning to dispose Barea's contract and they believed the Love to Cavs trade could help them do the job.
The T-Wolves are demanding Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett and a first-round pick in 2015 from the Cavs. Moreover, they also need the Cavs to absorb the remaining paycheck in Barea's four-year, $19 million deal.
"The Wolves also signed veteran guard Mo Williams this week, making fellow vet J.J. Barea - who sources say Minnesota is determined to offload as part of a Love deal - more available. It's believed the Wolves hope to convince Cleveland to take Barea as part of a Love trade or find a third team to absorb Barea's expiring contract," ESPN NBA insider Marc Stein and Brian Windhorst reported.
The Timberwolves have reached a one-year, $3.75MM deal with veteran point guard Mo Williams, a source close to situation reported on Thursday.
"Mo Williams and the Wolves have reached agreement on a one-year, $3.75MM deal, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter)," via Hoops Rumors.
The Dallas Mavericks made a run at the 31-year old Williams, who averaged 9.7 PPG and 4.3 APG in 24.8 minutes per game last season with the Portland Trail Blazers. However, the Mavs eventually used their $2.732MM room exception for point guard Jameer Nelson, prompting Williams to look for another suitor in this free-agency period.
"The free agent guard had chiefly been connected to the Mavs of late, but Dallas instead used the $2.732MM room exception it had earmarked for a potential deal with the ex-Blazer on Jameer Nelson," according to Hoops Rumors.
"The Wolves are almost certainly using part of their $5.305MM mid-level exception on this deal, one that will give Williams more than he would have made with the Mavs."
Williams stressed that his only goal entering the offseason is to sign with the Blazers after opting out from a $2.77 million deal for 2014-15 season, but the emerging Western Conference power instead used their mid-level exception on Steve Blake and Chris Kaman.
With Williams' arrival, many analysts think the Wolves are in position to trade point guard JJ Barea next. There are rumours that Barea could be included as one of the pieces in the 'forthcoming' Kevin Love trade to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
For more NBA rumors, read more at Travelers Today
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
