CLEVELAND — Andrew Wiggins has an NBA home. Maybe a temporary one.
The Cavaliers signed the No. 1 overall draft pick Thursday, a deal that prevents Wiggins from being traded for 30 days.
Wiggins has been linked to a possible blockbuster trade with Minnesota for All-Star forward Kevin Love. But any deal now involving Wiggins can’t be finalized for at least 30 days.
The Cavs and Timberwolves have had talks about a trade involving Love for months, long before Cleveland selected Wiggins, the former Kansas standout, with the first pick in May’s draft. Those discussions have intensified lately, and the sides can still reach an agreement on a trade but nothing can be finalized until late August.
Now that Wiggins is under contract, the league’s seldom-used 30-day rule is in effect.
It was designed to prevent teams from circumventing salary cap rules. There have been restrictions placed on trading newly signed rookies dating back at least to the 1998-99 collective bargaining agreement. At that time, rookies were lumped in with all free agents into a rule that prevents any newly signed player from being traded for three months or before Dec. 15 of the next season — whichever is longer.
The rule was modified in the 2005 CBA, separating rookie contracts into a different category with the shorter, 30-day timeline between signing date and trade eligibility.
The spirit behind the rule is that if a rookie is traded immediately after he signs, it gives the appearance that the acquiring team is the one that is in fact signing him.
Cleveland’s decision to sign Wiggins actually makes it easier to trade him. Before his deal, he had zero value on the salary cap but his contract — worth $5.5 million — could allow the Cavs to clear enough room to take on a player like Love, who is set to earn $15.7 million next season.
Minnesota has received offers from other teams, including the Chicago Bulls, who reached out to the Timberwolves this week, according to a person with knowledge of the discussions who requested anonymity because the teams were not publicly commenting on the process.
With Wiggins unable to be moved by Cleveland for a month, it’s possible other teams may approach the Timberwolves to make a run at Love, a double-double machine and arguably the league’s top power forward. Love is entering his final year under contract in Minnesota and has said he does not intend to sign a long-term deal with the Timberwolves.
Mavs sign former All-Star guard Nelson
DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks have signed former All-Star point guard Jameer Nelson as a free agent.
Terms of the deal announced Thursday weren’t released, but it is reportedly a one-year contract for the team’s salary cap exception of $2.7 million with a player option for another year at roughly the same amount.
Nelson spent his first 10 seasons with Orlando after the Magic acquired his rights from Denver, which took him with the 20th overall pick in 2004. The 32-year-old has career averages of 12.6 points and 5.4 assists.
By wire sources