Golden State Warriors: What’s Holding Up The Kevin Love Trade?

After such a hot start to trade talks for Kevin Love, now there’s just radio silence. Everyone’s wondering what’s holding up this process for The Golden State Warriors.

The Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves will continue trade discussions for Love although nothing is imminent. There have been two important summer NBA benchmarks that have already passed, one being the NBA draft and the July 1 start of free agency.

Still nothing’s been done, and if anything the trade talk that intensified weeks ago has simmered down for the moment.

The Timberwolves are in possession of the keys to this drive, holding interested teams hostage. Short of Flip Saunders receiving an offer of Love for LeBron James, it’s likely they’ll stand pat until this coming season’s trade deadline.

So far there have been three offers for Minnesota to consider. The Dubs have offered David Lee, Harrison Barnes, and two future first round picks.

The Boston Celtics are willing to give away Jeff Green, Brandon Bass, James Young or Kelly Olynyk, a 2015 first round pick and/or the 76ers 2015 first round pick for Love and Chase Budinger. The Phoenix Suns have offered a sign-and-trade with Eric Bledsoe, Miles Plumlee or Alex Len and the Lakers 2015 first round pick for Kevin Love and Kevin Martin.

Respectable offers and competition for what would be the Warriors ultimate prize. However if you’re sitting in the Timberwolves front-office there’s no motivation to take your heels off the desk and pay attention.

In light of such procrastination, there’s no need for Steve Kerr and Bob Myers to panic either. Sure it would be nice to have Love in a Warriors uniform for training camp, but it seems that most likely won’t happen.

The Warriors are victims of their own success, and whether that’s a good or bad thing depends on how you look at it. They’ve has excellent drafts in recent years, bringing in young talent like Barnes and Klay Thompson, who in most cases are considered untouchable.

If Minny won’t jump to acquire a few of Golden State’s prized possessions, the Warriors shouldn’t be too enthused about giving them away.

So what’s the next best step?

The Warriors have already filled a hole by plugging Shaun Livingston into the reserve point guard role. They have been looking for a guy off the bench to help close games since Jarrett Jack.

Steve Blake, Toney Douglas and Jordan Crawford didn’t work out as expected, and although their entire mid-level exception was spent acquiring Livingston, it was still a good pick up.

Inserting Livingston into the second unit places another floor general on the court that will get better production from small forward Harrison Barnes (if he’s still around), Marreese Speights, a healthy Festus Ezeli and Draymond Green.

Kerr will seek to mimic the strategy former Brooklyn Nets head coach Jason Kidd used with Livingston, pairing him with point guard Deron Williams. The Warriors are a serious threat with Stephen Curry playing off the ball, and Livingston will play a big role in helping Curry light up the opposition every night.

Signing Livingston doesn’t mark the end of the summer, but it’s a pretty good start..

That’s what it will take. Forward progress while awaiting the player that could potentially push you over the hump.

It’s not as if the Warriors didn’t achieve a 51-31 record, and were limited to a first round exit due to limited health. They’re good where they are.

So perhaps it’s worth taking a page out of Minnesota’s book and taking it easy. If Golden State can’t improve their roster in the dramatic fashion it will take to bring in Love, then slow, dull, boring and flying under the radar is the key to winning the off season.