Report: Timberwolves' Love frustrated by franchise's direction
Despite the fact he has two years left on his contract with Minnesota, All-Star forward Kevin Love said he is frustrated with the direction of the Timberwolves and is considering leaving.
"You walk into the locker room every year, and it's completely turned over," Love told Yahoo!Sports in an interview published Tuesdasy. "There's new guys everywhere. And then it happens again and again. You start to wonder: Is there really a plan here? Is there really any kind of a ... plan?"
Love signed a four-year deal, $62 million contract with the Timberwolves before last season. He wanted the maximum allowed five-year, $80 million deal.
He said that deal made him feel betrayed by the franchise, which can offer him more than any other team. With each team only allowed to sign one player to a maximum five-year deal at a time, the Yahoo! report said the Wolves are saving that for guard Ricky Rubio.
"It was a projection over a sure thing," Love says. "There's no question there was an agenda here. A different agenda."
Love said he also has felt slighted by owner Glen Taylor, who has yet to acknowledge he is a star player even though he won a gold medal with the U.S. Olympic men's basketball team.
"I don't know who labels people stars, but even (owner) Glen Taylor said, 'I don't think Kevin Love is a star, because he hasn't led us to the playoffs,' " Love said. "I mean, it's not like I had much support out there. That's a tough pill to swallow."
The former UCLA star is averaging 21.2 points and 14.2 rebounds a game this season. He missed the first two weeks of the season with a hand injury.
Love can opt of his contract after the 2014-15 season. He said he is more concerned about winning than making the highest contract.
"I have a very, very good memory, and I always remember the people who have done right by me, and the people who have done wrong by me," he says. "It will be embedded in my brain, and something I won't forget about. There's no telling what will happen. I would love to compete for a championship in Minnesota, but ..."
