Former Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Kevin Love was, in effect, dealt to the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first week of August. The Wolves and Cavs could not execute the deal until Aug. 23 because of the NBA’s bylaws regarding the trading of rookies, but eventually the two teams did follow through on the agreed-upon move to send Love (in essence) to Cleveland for youngsters Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett, and scoring forward Thaddeus Young.
That’s a pretty large franchise shift, especially for a player in Kevin Martin who decided to join Minnesota two summers ago so as to ride out his prime with a knowing coach in Rick Adelman (since retired) and a sweet-shooting forward in Kevin Love (since traded). Trading a 26-and-12 guy for a couple of young men born during the Clinton Administration would seem to be a bit of a lifestyle shift, especially for a player about to enter his 11th NBA season, as Martin is.
A season that Martin, unless he was pulling off the driest sense of dry humor in Minnesota’s history since the last time someone from Minnesota pulled off some dry humor (they’re really good at it!), didn’t know until recently would start with Kevin Love in Cleveland.
From Jerry Zgoda at the Pioneer-Press:
“I didn’t know Kevin Love got traded until yesterday,” Martin said with a straight face at Monday’s annual media day at Target Center that preceded a midnight start to training camp in Mankato. “I’m not big on looking at blogs and all that.”
That’s, I suppose, possible.
To credit “blogs” for solely dealing in rumor is a little 2005-ish, what with most websites, cable TV channels, tickers, radio, social media, and, I dunno, OTHER PLAYERS IN THE NBA INCLUDING YOUR TEAMMATES possibly talking about the potential trade involving the most prominent teammate on the franchise that you work for. Not only did Adrian Wojnarowski break the story for our website weeks before the deal could be legally finalized, but if an agreement to deal Adrian Wojnarowski away from Yahoo Sports were agreed upon and released to the press, I’d probably find out at some point after seven weeks between the beginning of August and the end of September. And I’m not even on Facebook.
Still, there’s no way Kevin Martin didn’t know, right? He has to be keeping his tongue placed firmly in cheek. That’s the way you attempt to keep yourself sane while you prepare to enter life as a 31-year old shooting guard alongside a cadre of (however fantastically entertaining) youngsters. It’s only normal, especially when faced with endless questions (off record) from friends, family and teammates as to just how you’ll deal with work without Kevin Love around.
If Kevin Martin does need some blog suggestions, though, I’ve got an idea of where he can go.
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from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1xyz2BR
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