Talks between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves are heating up, according to reports Tuesday.
Yahoo! Sports and FOX Sports 1 NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski reports the deal hinges on the Cavs' inclusion of No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins and that the mention of his name in negotiations has triggered increased interest. A source who spoke to FOX Sports Ohio's Sam Amico articulated a similar notion, describing the talks as "getting real."
Multiple outlets, including The Associated Press, have reported Wiggins is expected to sign a rookie contract this week. Once that happens, he would not be eligible to be traded for 30 days.
Tuesday evening, Cleveland executed a trade in which they acquired the non-guaranteed deals of John Lucas, Malcolm Thomas and Erik Murphy from the Utah Jazz in exchange for Carrick Felix, a second-round pick and cash.
Wojnarowski reported that the Cavs had been looking into the possibility of adding non-guaranteed contracts, which Minnesota could acquire in a trade, then release for salary relief.
Also of note from the Yahoo! Sports report is that the Denver Nuggets have offered the strongest package besides the Cavaliers and are a contender to land Love, who Wojnarowski said has "demanded a trade before the start of next season."
Besides looking for pieces Minnesota could later use in a salary dump, Wojnarowski reports the Cavs are shopping around for an "experienced center" in exchange for future first-round picks.
