He showed up for one fun weekend, swinging through town, giving everyone false hope. Then he was gone.
If Kevin Love visits Fenway Park again in the near future, it will not be as a member of the Boston Celtics, nor will he be as warmly embraced as he was back in June. All indications are that Love will be traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, for Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett and a protected future first-round draft pick, once the Cavs are able to trade Wiggins on Aug. 23.
All along, this was the likely outcome, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe wrote Friday — perhaps not necessarily Love going to Cleveland, that is, but certainly Love not ending up in Boston.
“The Celtics’ pursuit of Kevin Love was a long shot from the beginning,” Washburn wrote. “Although Love was intrigued by the idea of playing for Brad Stevens and with such a tradition-rich organization, the relationship never grew beyond flirtation.”
The Celtics lacked the “assets” necessary to offer an attractive trade package to the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to the Globe. Once the Cavs landed LeBron James and made Wiggins available, there was no way the Celtics could match an offer that included the last two No. 1 overall picks.
This might only be the beginning of the bad news for Celtics fans. With so few proven, desirable trade chips on the roster, it will be extremely difficult for the Celtics to acquire a player this summer who could have an impact right away. That could mean Rajon Rondo will be traded away as soon as he shows he has fully recovered from knee surgery, or even sooner if the right offer comes along.
