It's Official: No Love for Phoenix Suns

It's been a frustrating summer at times.

Today is no less frustrating, even though the news has been expected for weeks now. Kevin Love has been traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and not the Phoenix Suns.

For months, the Suns have wanted to acquire Kevin Love but they never could put together a package to top all other offers. Neither did the Golden State Warriors for that matter, even IF they had included Klay Thompson after all.

The Minnesota Timberwolves were at the right place at the right time, and for the first time in as long as I can remember they came out ahead in the deal. The Wolves turned a sure thing loser (Kevin Love walking in a year) into the last two #1 overall picks, Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett, and one of the better power forwards in the NBA in Thad Young.

Rarely does a team come out arguably better than they started. The Denver Nuggets did it with Carmelo Anthony a few years ago, but I tend to think this deal is better for the selling team than that one was. Time will tell though.

Where does that leave the Suns?

It leaves the Suns on the side of the road wondering what the hell happened this summer. The Suns came into the summer with big plans to go after the league's best free agents and trade targets.

So far, nothing.

And to their ultimate chagrin, I think, news got out yesterday afternoon that the Suns made a last-ditch effort to try to pry Minny's eyes off their Cavalier booty.

This report stinks to me. Stinks of old news. I could be wrong, but I'd be floored if the day transpired as it was posed on the internets - that the Suns, for the first time all summer, walked into a board room and collectively decided, "Hey maybe Minnesota might want Eric Bledsoe for Love! Let's try that. How much time is left on the Wiggins 3-day clock?"

That's a lot of BS to me.

First of all, the Suns have wanted Love for months. Every single player on the Suns' roster has been discussed, I can assure you. There's no way the Suns ever told Minny that Bledsoe was off the table.

Of course, back then and even now, the Suns cannot "offer" Bledsoe in trade without Bledsoe pre-agreeing to go. The Suns cannot just call someone up and offer Bledsoe to them and work out the details. Bledsoe must agree to go, and he must agree to a new contract before that.

So this report feels wrong to me.

But regardless, the Suns have struck out on the big fish. Struck out big time.

Here's to another 39 days before the preseason and training camp actually start. Let's hope something happens in a positive way to turn this frustrating summer around.