I Kevin Love You, Man

Alli KleppeTHE SANTA CLARAMay 22, 2014[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hen it comes to one of the top players in the NBA right now, we have an important question: Where is the Love?Kevin Love has expressed an interest in becoming an unrestricted free agent this off-season. He will have to weigh his options either in a trade deal or as a free agent at the end of next summer.Teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls and Golden State Warriors all have reportedly shown interest. Clearly, Love has several options. However, Glen Taylor, the owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves, told the Pioneer Press on Monday that he doesn’t plan on trading Love. As of now, Taylor intends to keep Love with the team until his contract is up.But Love’s talents show he is a force to be reckoned with come decision time. He is one of the top players in the NBA right now, with a player efficiency rating third only to Kevin Durant and LeBron James, according to ESPN. He is also the second-best player in the Timberwolves’ franchise history to Kevin Garnett.  So, what would you do if you were Love? Six seasons into the NBA, he has yet to make it to the post-season. What incentive does he really have to stay another year, when stronger opportunities could be coming his way?It seems that opinions vary greatly from different fan bases on where Love should go if he does a trade deal – Celtics fans think Boston while Lakers fans want him to come and help get last season out of their heads. Love has expressed interest in Golden State and Chicago.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3n8ks-l-r8I think Love should go to a team where he is a star. Other great teammates should not outshine him, but instead, create a team dynamic where the players complement each other. Although he would be an asset to any team, Love should seek out an environment that truly encourages him to exercise his potential to become a bigger star and a team leader. The Warriors are on the brink of greatness – they were third in defensive efficiency this season and if Love were to play alongside Stephen Curry, they would have an offense that would prove a test for any opponent. Golden State was rated No. 12 in offensive efficiency last year. Now that they have their defense relatively in line, I hope the new head coach, Steve Kerr, takes these opportunities to revamp his team to the next level.Love could be the great addition to put them in true competition with other championship-level teams. The Warriors would have to give up a lot – analysts have speculated as many as up to four different players could be traded in a deal, including David Lee, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes. But I believe the return on their investment would be worth it. Alli Kleppe is a freshman communication major.