3:28Kevin Love and the Timberwolves might agree on a maximum contract by Wednesday's 11 p.m. deadline. That would mean either a four-year, $61 million deal or a five-year, $78 million contract. The team prefers a four-year deal; will the All-Star forward hold out for five?IF NO DEAL IS REACHED?
Negotiations would end until the summer, and Love would become a restricted free agent July 1. The Wolves could match any offer made by another team, or Love could choose to sign a $6.1 million qualifying offer for the 2012-13 season, play it out, and become an unrestricted free agent.
STAT MACHINE
The fourth-year forward out of UCLA is 23 years old. He is fifth in the NBA in scoring (24.9 points per game), second in rebounding (13.9) and has 16 double-doubles in 17 games this season.
WHAT'S BEING SAID
"You know what?" Love said Monday. "I'm not worried about it. I'm in a good situation regardless of what happens." Neither Love nor Wolves President of Basketball Operations David Kahn commented Tuesday. However, coach Rick Adelman praised Love for his play and not letting talks affect him.
HURRY UP AND WAIT
These deals often go to the wire. When the Wolves signed Al Jefferson in 2007, he had to race down to Target Center -- fighting the traffic of an Ozzy Osbourne rock concert on Halloween -- to sign right before the deadline.
FOR COMPARISON'S SAKE
Remember this context: Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook, two members of Love's 2008 draft class, have already signed five-year designated player contracts in recent weeks, Rose for $94 million with Chicago, Westbrook for $80 million with Oklahoma City. New Orleans guard Eric Gordon's contract negotiations could impact Love's as well.
IN THE MEANTIME
The injury-plagued Wolves play at defending NBA champion Dallas at 7:30 p.m.
KENT YOUNGBLOOD AND JERRY ZGODA
