The Wolf King Coming Home? Is 37-Year-Old Kevin Love a Fit for the Timberwolves Now?

An update on the latest rumors surrounding Kevin Love.

Previously, reports said Love's agent Jeff Schwartz had held related talks with the 76ers' front office during the start of free agency, but there was no further progress.

Recently, reports suggested that the possibility of Love reaching an agreement with the 76ers is not high, making the Minnesota Timberwolves one of the teams worth monitoring for Love.

At the same time, The Athletic's Timberwolves beat coverage reported similar information, saying that both Love and the Timberwolves have interest in a reunion: “From what I understand, Love is open to returning to Minnesota, and the Timberwolves are also interested in bringing him back.”

Love was the fifth overall pick in the first round of the 2008 draft. His career began with the Timberwolves, where he grew from a reserve player into an All-Star. He spent six seasons there, playing 364 games and averaging 19.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.5 blocks, with shooting splits of 45.1%/36.2%/81.5%.

To this day, Love's 6,989 career points still rank sixth in Timberwolves history, while his 4,453 rebounds rank third, behind only Kevin Garnett (10,718 rebounds) and Karl-Anthony Towns (6,216 rebounds).

The 2013-14 season was the peak of Love's career. That year, he averaged 36.3 minutes, 26.1 points, 12.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.5 blocks per game, with shooting splits of 45.7%/37.6%/82.1%, earning an All-Star selection and All-NBA Second Team honors.

After that season, Love was traded to the Cavaliers. In the deal, the Timberwolves received rebuilding pieces including Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett, while Love joined LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.

Love later spent nearly nine seasons with the Cavaliers, helping them reach the Finals four times and win one championship, becoming a Cavaliers legend. Of course, that is another story.

Returning to the Timberwolves and Love rumors, how much does Love still have left? Is he a fit for the Timberwolves?

It is worth starting with 2025. At that time, Love was traded from the Heat to the Jazz. Many expected rebuilding Utah to buy him out, but the Jazz front office and coaching staff valued his veteran qualities, and Love ultimately played a full season with the Jazz.

Last season, Love finished with the following numbers: 37 games played, 16.6 minutes per game, 6.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game, with shooting splits of 39.7%/37.3%/84.1% and a true shooting percentage of 56.8%.

At age 37, Love still has some valuable qualities, mainly in three areas:

—Three-point shooting: Love proved his shooting ability early in his career and has won the Three-Point Contest. Even last season, he still made 1.4 three-pointers per game while shooting above 37% from deep.

—Rebounding: This has also been one of the strongest parts of Love's career. Last season, his rebounds per 36 minutes remained at 12.6, comparable to his peak 2013-14 season.

—Passing: Compared with typical traditional big men, Love's playmaking ability remains strong. He can facilitate from the high post and quickly find teammates running in transition after grabbing rebounds.

In theory, a big man with Love's skill set should be a rare commodity, but the biggest reason he remained unsigned for a long time in free agency was his defense.

Even peak Love was not an elite defensive big man, and that is even more true now. The numbers show it directly: last season Love contested 7.9 opponent shot attempts per game, while opponents' shooting percentage actually increased by 4.6%.

The interior is one of the most important defensive areas for a team. Big men must protect the rim and switch when necessary, but Love no longer has that ability. With his mobility, a single pick-and-roll could expose him.

It is also worth looking at the Timberwolves' situation.

This offseason, the Timberwolves lost two big men, Naz Reid and Julius Randle, while adding players such as LaMelo Ball and Jonathan Kuminga. If they sign Love, he could help create spacing for Ball, Edwards, Dosunmu and McDaniels.

With Rudy Gobert on the roster, some of Love's defensive weaknesses could be covered — provided Love and Gobert can share the court. If Love plays alone at center, the interior defense would be a major concern, and even alongside Gobert, Love's individual defense would remain a weakness.

Another factor that cannot be ignored is Love's locker-room value. In addition to losing their big-man depth, the Timberwolves also moved on from veteran Mike Conley. Love's return could fill the leadership gap in the locker room, and his history with Minnesota gives him the credentials for that role.

It is worth noting that the Timberwolves have staged a “Wolf King returning home” storyline before. In the 2014-15 season, they brought back Garnett, who then finished the final season of his career with Minnesota.

Without question, Love was once a “Wolf King” during a chapter of Timberwolves history. Do you think Love could return to where his dream began? Is he a fit for the Timberwolves now?