The long-discussed trade of Wolves star Kevin Love to the Cavaliers for No. 1 pick Andrew Wiggins, last year's No. 1 pick Anthony Bennett and other assets is not official. It can't be made official until Aug. 23 — which is 30 days after Wiggins signed his rookie contract, per NBA rules. But when you add up all the clues, it leads to a near-certainty that, pending something stupid happening, this will go down in a few weeks. To refresh your memory, here are those clues:
Clue
What it might mean
What it makes us believe
July 2: It becomes public that Love has pulled out of the celebrity softball game in conjunction with the All-Star Game at Target Field.
Love, knowing he will be traded, doesn't want the public backlash from Minnesota fans.
That a Love trade was increasingly becoming an inevitability.
July 11: LeBron James announces his return to Cleveland in a letter on SI.com. In it, he mentions several Cavs players by name … but not Andrew Wiggins or Anthony Bennett.
LeBron, knowing both players were on the way out, didn't want to make it seem like they would be teammates for long.
That a trade involving Wiggins and Bennett was increasingly becoming an inevitability.
July 26: It is announced that Love is backing out of a commitment to play for Team USA in the FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Love, not wanting to risk an injury that would derail a trade — look what happened to Paul George on Friday — played it safe.
That a Love trade to was increasingly becoming an inevitability.
Thursday: ESPN reported the Cavaliers were the only team the Wolves were dealing with in a trade scenario for Love.
Things were moving along and we could finally stop talking about Golden State's lame offer.
That a Love trade to Cleveland for Wiggins and Bennett was increasingly becoming an inevitability.
Saturday: Word spread that Wiggins Cavaliers jerseys were no longer for sale via NBA.com.
The NBA, not wanting fans to be stuck with jerseys for a guy who wasn't going to be on a team for long, saved them the trouble.
That a Love trade to Cleveland for Wiggins and Bennett was increasingly becoming an inevitability.
Sunday: Wiggins gave an awkward ESPN interview in which he said, "I just want to play for a team that wants me," while the Pioneer Press quoted Wolves owner Glen Taylor as saying a Love trade was "likely."
Both Wiggins and Taylor were stating the obvious without fully saying it.
That a Love trade to Cleveland for Wiggins and Bennett is inevitable.