NBA Roundup
Possible Love deal: A salarydumping deal Tuesday by the Cleveland Cavaliers could help the new NBA team of superstar LeBron James swing a deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves for star center Kevin Love.
The Cavaliers obtained guard John Lucas III and forwards Malcolm Thomas and Erik Murphy from Utah for second-year guard Carrick Felix, a second-round pick in next year’s NBA Draft and $1 million.
All three players who went to Cleveland have contracts that are not guaranteed for next season, meaning the Cavaliers would have about $3.3 million toward Love’s $15.7 million salary should they swing a deal for him with Minnesota. (AFP) Rookies among foes: Orlando’s Victor Oladipo and Utah’s Trey Burke were among 13 players named Tuesday to a USA Select squad that will help train America’s Basketball World Cup squad of NBA stars.
The Select team, featuring five NBA rookies, is a first step for young players into the USA Basketball talent pool that has produced gold medals at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics and a 62-1 record since settling for bronze at the 2004 Athens Games.
The Select unit that will train against them in Las Vegas during a selection camp will include NBA All-Rookie Team players Oladipo, Burke, Tim Hardaway Jnr of New York and Mason Plumlee of Brooklyn plus All-Rookie secondteammer Cody Zeller of Charlotte. (AFP) GSW sign Rush: The Golden State Warriors signed free agent guard-forward Brandon Rush on Tuesday. Terms of the contract were not disclosed by the team, but the two-year deal was reported to be worth approximately $2.5 million with a player option for the second year.
The 29-year-old Rush rejoins the Warriors after playing in 67 games for the team in 2011-13 and averaging 9.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting 50.4 percent from the field and 44.8 percent on 3pointers.
Suns
confident: Too many guards is better than not enough, and the Phoenix Suns believe restricted free agent Eric Bledsoe will be part of their expansive collection next season.
The Suns offered Bledsoe a fouryear, $48 million contract, but he is holding out for something closer to the $80 million maximum-level payday.
Bledsoe averaged career highs of 17.7 points, 5.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds last season despite missing time with a knee injury that required surgery.