Aimee
With the 30 days up since No. 1 pick Andrew Wiggins signed his rookie contract, the Cleveland Cavaliers have officially dealt Wiggins to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a three-way trade that nets the Cavs star power forward Kevin Love, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
Cavs 2013 No. 1 pick Anthony Bennett joins Wiggins in Minnesota, along with Thaddeus Young, who heads to the Wolves from the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers get the expiring contracts of Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Alexey Shved and the Miami Heat’s 2015 first-round pick via Cleveland.
The trade is a long time coming for Love, who has been the subject of trade rumors ever since he expressed displeasure with Wolves management in 2012. The Cavs weren’t serious players in Love trade talks heading into the offseason, but after winning the draft lottery and signing LeBron James, there was a prime opportunity to make another big splash.
There was some early debate over trading Wiggins, but Cleveland relented and ultimately came to an agreement in principle to acquire Love, who had a career year in Minnesota last season, averaging 26.1 points and 12.5 rebounds.
By adding Love, the Cavs now have a formidable Big Three of Love, James and Kyrie Irving. Young talent in Dion Waiters and Tristan Thompson remains, while Anderson Varejao is a solid veteran presence down low when healthy.
