NBA season preview: Kevin Love and four other story lines

As the months passed, everybody knew Timberwolves three-time All Star Kevin Love's divorce from the Timberwolves was coming and he would play elsewhere this coming season.

But … Cleveland?

That's right, the NBA spun off its axis in July when the great LeBron James announced by essay that he was headed back home to Ohio after he spent four years away at college in Miami and won two NBA titles while matriculating there.

Of course, Love followed him not that long after with a much-anticipated trade that brought No. 1 overall picks Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett as well as veteran Thaddeus Young to Minnesota. So, too, did Shawn Marion, Mike Miller, James Jones and relocated NBA beat writers from as far away as Portland, Ore., and Los Angeles.

Love delivered an essay of his own last week, writing on New York Yankees great Derek Jeter's website, The Players' Tribune, a farewell to Wolves fans, whom he thanked for not burning his jersey in effigy.

For reporters, embittered Wolves fans and others who wonder how he'll adjust to a supporting role beside James and possibly Kyrie Irving and maybe fewer of those long double-double streaks:

"To them I say: I don't care," he wrote. "I've never played in a playoff game. I came to Cleveland because I want to win. I'll grab a broom and sweep the floors if it gets me an NBA title."

As monumental as it was and no matter how well Cleveland now does with Love beside LeBron, the Cavaliers didn't make the best trade of the summer.

That distinction goes to the Los Angeles Clippers, who eventually, thankfully swapped owner Donald Sterling for Microsoft executive Steve Ballmer and his ballistic $2 billion offer.

Ballmer then went and spent even more, giving Doc Rivers a five-year, $50 million extension. He has declared his new franchise "America's team," a title he projects they'll reach by following the formula that once made Los Angeles a Lakers town: By winning titles with a superstar (Chris Paul or Blake Griffin, take your pick) in a massive media market.

Phil Jackson is back in the NBA, only this time, at age 69, it's not to coach.

Yes, he's brought his record 11 NBA championship rings and a contingent with him from Los Angeles to New York City and Madison Square Garden, where the Knicks will pay him $12 million a season to manage them back to respectability.

This time around, Jackson has hired former Lakers guard Derek Fisher to coach his famed triangle offense and paid pal/former Wolves coach Kurt Rambis more than $1 million a year as top assistant to help out. Now all they have to do is get Carmelo Anthony to buy in, Amare Stoudemire to turn back the hands of time and get somebody — anybody —to play defense.

If it's not broke, fix it.

You could argue that's Golden State's approach after it won 54 games, pushed the Clippers to the edge in a first-round Game 7 and then replaced fired coach Mark Jackson with former TNT analyst Steve Kerr, who, just like Jackson when he was hired, has never coached a NBA game.

But Kerr has played for plenty of great ones and an offense powered by guards Steph Curry and Klay Thompson borrows elements from Jackson's triangle and San Antonio's Gregg Popovich's ball-movement offenses and maybe some of Phoenix's frenetic philosophies employed when he was the Suns' general manager.

The Warriors probably will lead the league in scoring. But do they have the muscle and the length to win the playoffs and will they regret not pulling the trigger on a Thompson-Kevin Love trade?

But before they get there next June, they first must make a deal with their future, namely blossoming 23-year-old forward Kawhi Leonard. Like Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio, he's eligible for a contract extension by Friday and his could be a five-year, $90 million "designated player "extension.

Whether it's four years, five years or a shorter one timed to coincide with the new television contract coming in 2016 now or next summer, you can bet that Leonard, unlike his older teammates, won't be giving the six-time champions a discount.

You can also bet there is no way that last summer's NBA Finals MVP and the team's heir apparent ends up anywhere but San Antonio.