Even with the widely accepted belief that fifth-year guard Bones Hyland is slated to be re-signed before the start of training camp, the Minnesota Timberwolves still find themselves with one more roster spot that still needs to be solidified.
As things currently stand, Johnny Juzang seems to be in line to fill this slot after he inked a one-year contract with the club back in August.
However, considering the non-guaranteed nature of his deal, it's highly plausible that the wing doesn't end up making the cut for the final roster, which would lead the Wolves to look elsewhere to fill in their 15 and final vacancy.
Should this happen, Minnesota could simply opt to adopt the "wait and see" approach, which would have them enter the campaign with the flexibility to fill their open spot when and with whomever they so choose.
Of course, based on the latest round of league-wide rumblings, there now seems to be an exciting open avenue that could lead the Timberwolves to a storybook reunion with a franchise legend sooner rather than later, as a recent report by Bennett Durando of The Denver Post noted that Kevin Love could end up making his way onto the free agency market in the coming weeks.
Wolves must consider reunion with franchise legend, Kevin Love
As per the NBA insider, the five-time All-Star is “widely expected to be traded or bought out" at some point in the near future, with the idea being that, if he were to part ways with his current employer, the Utah Jazz, a contender "will scoop him up."
Though Durando specifically mentioned teams like the Cavaliers and both of the Los Angeles-based squads as possible destinations, if legitimate title threats are the kind of teams slated to pursue Love's services, by all accounts, the Wolves certainly fit this descriptor.
Let's not forget that Minnesota is coming off two consecutive seasons where they finished as the runner-ups in the Western Conference Finals. Perhaps most impressive, they've done so while sporting two different core groups, with the first being spearheaded by a tandem of Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns and the second consisting of Edwards and Julius Randle.
Frankly, the return of Love could prove to be more than just an entertaining reunion.
Though certainly past his All-NBA days, the veteran is still a reliable rebounder and floor spacer who, over his last three seasons, has posted averages of 8.0 points and 5.9 rebounds on 34.1 percent shooting from deep while predominantly coming off the pine.
Last year with the Heat, in just 10.9 minutes per night, he averaged 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 35.8 percent from beyond the arc.
At the very least, Love would bring a proven track record of being battle-tested in the postseason, having the know-how to flourish in the Twin Cities, and, above all else, knowing what it takes to win an NBA Championship.
After spending six seasons having his elite services wallow away on the non-competitive Wolves teams of yesteryear, there may be no more fitting end to Kevin Love's professional playing career than him returning to Minneapolis, where his journey began, and being a part of a team that now has legitimate aspirations of taking home the Larry O'Brien Trophy.