The race to land Kevin Love is heating up with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls and Golden State Warriors all negotiating with Minnesota Timberwolves coach and president of basketball operations, Flip Saunders.  Though Saunders has been playing hardball, the New York Knicks decided to try their luck and make an offer according to The Wall Street Journal.

The Knicks recently attempted to make a trade for Minnesota Timberwolves star Kevin Love, offering forward Amar’e Stoudemire and his enormous expiring contract, second-year guard Tim Hardaway, Jr. and swingman Iman Shumpert, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

As you would expect their offer was rejected and really never stood much of a chance.

Offering a young sharpshooter like Tim Hardaway Jr. and a young defensive talent like Iman Shumpert is a pretty good offer but that’s where it ends.  Amare Stoudemire’s troublesome contract has been a turnoff for numerous teams.  Though it is expiring it wouldn’t help a team like the Timberwolves who generally acquire talent through the draft or trades not through free agency.  There’s also one other problem, the Knicks have no draft picks to offer.  The Knicks traded their 2014 pick in the Carmelo Anthony trade and their 2016 pick in the Andrea Bargnani deal (how awful was that deal by the way).  Due to the NBA’s rule against trading draft picks in consecutive years, the Knicks can only offer a pick in 2018 which Wolves wouldn’t be willing to wait for especially when giving up a talent as good as Love.

And for some perspective the Cleveland Cavaliers are reportedly offering 2014 No. 1 draft pick Andrew Wiggins, 2013 No. 1 draft pick Anthony Bennett and a future first round draft pick.  The Golden State Warriors are reportedly offering David Lee, Harrison Barnes and future draft picks but are reluctant to include Klay Thompson as requested.  The Chicago Bulls are reportedly offering Taj Gibson, Nikola Mirotic and Doug McDermott.  Now look at the Knicks offer again, Saunders reaction was probably…

– Shaina Auxilly (@Shay_Marie)