MINNEAPOLIS - Throughout most of last season, Minnesota Timberwolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders and owner Glen Taylor remained steadfast in their stance that they would not consider trading Kevin Love. Quandre Diggs Jersey . They were determined instead to convince the All-Star forward that he should sign an extension to remain after next season. With the NBA draft lottery coming up this week and an increasing concern that Love will leave for another team after next year, that stance has softened, two people with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. The Timberwolves are now open to the idea of trading Love if the right deal comes along. The people requested anonymity because the team has not made any final decisions on Loves future in Minnesota. A likely asking price would include a high first-round pick in this years draft and a solid veteran or two who would come in and contribute right away to a team that is lacking in veteran leadership. If the Wolves do not get an offer they feel is worthy of parting with the second-best player in franchise history, they are content to move forward with a plan to show Love that Minnesota is where he belongs, much the way the Portland Trail Blazers did with LaMarcus Aldridge last off-season. Love just finished the second year of a four-year deal that includes an option for him to opt-out in the summer of 2015. The contract terms were the first signs of strife for Love and the organization when former basketball boss David Kahn declined to give him the full five-year maximum deal that Love wanted. Kahn was fired in 2013 and Saunders has worked tirelessly to try to convince Love that he should stay in Minnesota where he can make about $26.5 million more than he can anywhere else. But the Wolves have not made the playoffs in 10 years, including all six of Loves seasons with the team, a lack of success that has one of the best power forwards in the game growing more and more impatient. Neither Love nor his representatives have gone so far as to ask for a trade, but as the NBA draft lottery approaches on Tuesday, the trade market figures to heat up. The Timberwolves are slotted to pick 13th in the first round. But they are holding out hope that they get lucky for the first time in franchise history in the lottery and jump up. Getting one of the top three picks in a strong draft could be an encouraging sign for Love. If that doesnt happen, the Wolves could look at making a trade if they felt it had a chance to make them better in the long run. Love has made three All-Star teams and helped Team USA win the gold medal at the London Olympics. He averaged 26.1 points, 12.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists last season, but the Wolves finished a disappointing 40-42 and missed the playoffs in the Western Conference. While there remains some question whether Love can be the best player on a championship-calibre team, there figures to be a long list of suitors to line up for his services via trade this summer or free agency next year. But Love would likely have to give any team that makes the Wolves an offer some kind of indication that he is open to signing an extension, much the way Chris Paul did when he was dealt from New Orleans to the Los Angeles Clippers in 2011. The uncertainty surrounding Love has also complicated the Wolves pursuit of a coach to replace Rick Adelman, who retired after the season. Saunders has been in the market for a proven, experienced head coach who can come and command respect right away while also handling what most assuredly would be a difficult season filled with constant questions about Loves status. Not surprisingly, most of the names near the top of Saunders list have been reluctant to entertain the idea of taking the job without knowing what is going to happen with Love. Some luck on lottery night could also make the job more attractive for an incoming coach. In the absence of any long-shot lottery luck, the Wolves will ramp up their coaching search after their draft position solidifies on Tuesday night. Names such as Lionel Hollins, Sam Mitchell and Scott Skiles will all get consideration. And return runs at Michigan States Tom Izzo, Floridas Billy Donovan or Iowa States Fred Hoiberg arent out of the question after all three gave them a tepid response early in the process. ___ Follow Jon Krawczynski on Twitter: http://twitter.com/APKrawczynski Jake Rudock Jersey .com) - The Chicago Cubs reportedly signed recently-acquired outfielder Dexter Fowler to a one-year contract on Friday, avoiding arbitration. Matthew Stafford Jersey . Karlovic of Croatia used his big serve to beat Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic 7-6 (6), 7-6 (7). Kohlschreiber had lost all of his three previous matches against Istomin but the German broke serve for a decisive 3-2 lead in the third set and held on to reach his first final of the year. http://www.lionsfanspro.com/Black-Ricky-Wagner-Lions-Jersey.html?cat=921 . -- The NFL Players Association wants to determine if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers leaked information about quarterback Josh Freeman being in the NFLs substance abuse program. KITCHENER, Ont. -- Val Sweeting of Edmonton and Brier champion Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie claimed the final two spots at the Roar of the Rings Canadian Curling Trials next month in Winnipeg. Jacobs used a three-point fifth end to propel himself out of 3-2 hole against 2006 Olympic champion Brad Gushue and earn a 7-5 win at the Capital One Road to the Roar pre-trial on Sunday. On the womens side, Sweeting, holding the hammer in the 10th end, needed a draw to the four-foot ring with her final shot and was on the mark for a 6-4 win against two-time Canadian womens champion Kelly Scott of Kelowna, B.C. Scott was ready to score two, but Sweeting made the same shot she missed in the ninth end, which gave Scott a steal of one point to make it 5-4. "I knew what too heavy felt like so I obviously didnt want to throw the same thing," Sweeting said. "We have the best sweepers there and I knew just throw it close and they would judge it, and thats exactly what happened." Scott, however, seemed to have the final end set up with the way she wanted it, making Sweeting attempt a shot she had already failed. "We wanted her to shoot against a couple and probably have her draw. She hadnt drawn in a while," said Scott, who gave up five straight points to Sweeting, including three in the sixth. "But they made every tick, every peel. They didnt give us much to work with, so that was probably best case." Scott admitted that her rink of Jeanna Schraeder, Sasha Carter and Sarah Wazney didnt seem to recover from the two days off that came with having a perfect 4-0 record. She was never on the mark in Saturdays A-final against Renee Sonnenberg and couldnt build on a 2-0 lead against Sweeting after two ends. "We just didnt bring our best the last two games," she said. "(We were) just chasing a little and never really had our ends set up, and never really dictated the play out there." Sweeting, who was in a rush to catch a plane out of town, has booked her ticket to Winnipeg as probably the most unknown commodity going into the eight-team trials. "Im very excited. Were really happy that all the hard work has all paid off," Sweeting said of her team of Dana Ferguson, Joannne Courtney and Rachelle Pidherny. T.J. Lang Jersey. "We played well here and were going to look at what we need to keep doing and what we can do better to succeed there." Jacobs and his squad of Ryan Fry, E.J. Harnden and Ryan Harnden will join Sweeting in Winnipeg. Through an oft-questioned point system, Jacobs had to go to the pre-trials instead of getting a bye to trials. "We didnt make it directly in and we had to do this the hard way, and I think being defending Brier champions it wouldnt be right if we werent there, if you think about it," Jacobs said. His opponent agreed. "Looking back on it, Brad Jacobs deserves to be in the Olympic trials," said Gushue. "You know, if anybody was going to beat us and go there, its good that they did. As Canadian champions, they should be in the trials in my opinion. They shouldnt have had to play this game." Despite losing his 3-2 lead in the fifth end, Gushue and his crew of Brett Gallant, Adam Casey and Geoff Walker kept plugging away and kept the score close, including a steal of a point in the ninth end to make it 5-4. Thoughts of tying the game seemed to get dashed though when Caseys stone caught some debris on the ice just as he let go of it and kicked away. "Its just the luck of it," Gushue said. "He made an absolute honey of a shot on his first and if we get that second guard up and played something with their top reds earlier, we had a chance to steal two. It just sucks. In the last end to see something like that, it was unfortunate." Jacobs, though, put himself in a good position to win by playing more aggressive than he did in the A-final against John Morris. "We played a lot better today," Jacobs said. "The end that we got three, the fifth end, when E.J. made the run back and the perfect hit and roll, I thought to myself, OK, thats what we needed to get back to who we are on the ice. So we really credit E.J. for making those two shots and getting us back on track." So now Jacobs will have to take that aggression out west when he faces Jeff Stoughton in his first match at the trials in Stoughtons hometown. "Ya, I guess hes going to be pretty nervous," Jacobs joked. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '