The Golden State Warriors may look to lure Kevin Love to the Bay Area

The Golden State Warriors used to view Kevin Love as a rival.

Now, they may be preparing to lure the former All-Star center to the Bay Area. Love will be teaming up with three-time All-Star forward Draymond Green on Team USA. Currently in Vegas practicing, Love is set to prove he still has what it takes to contribute.

If power forward Kevin Love can convince the Cavaliers to buy him out, the Golden State Warriors may be a premier option for him.

Love didn’t have a great season in Cleveland this past year. He played in just 25 games and was oftentimes criticized for his attitude while on the court. Love averaged just 12.2 points per game, the second-lowest average of his career.

However, for the last decade prior to this past season, Love topped 16 points per game. The former top-five pick will be able to rebound his career, but it will have to be in the right place. Golden State could be that place.

With Love getting to the point in his career where he’ll be a player on a veteran’s minimum contract, he’ll have many suitors if he does become a free agent. The Nets could be a premier destination.

Rusty Simmons of the SF Chronicle reported that, if Love manages a buyout, Golden State will be a contender he may envision signing with.

"“There is growing sentiment around the league that Love will negotiate a buyout with Cleveland and sign a veteran-minimum contract with a contender, with one of the options being the Warriors,” Simmons wrote."

This should be a no-brainer for Golden State, a team that dramatically lacked frontcourt depth last season. They basically played the entire month of February without a center. While Love is more of a stretch four, he played quite a bit of center when with LeBron James.

He also used to be a big-time rebounder, leading the league with 15.2 boards per game one season. He has the tenacity to be a top-tier rebounder, but the Dubs defense may need help, which is where Green comes into play.

Overall, the shooting and offensive awareness that Love brings make him a smart addition for any contender, including Golden State. It would be a perfect match, and it’s a relationship the Warriors must pursue if it’s there for the taking.