Now the Kevin Love trade is complete.
Sure, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Cleveland Cavaliers (and Philadelphia 76ers) officially pulled the trigger on the Love for Andrew Wiggins swap on Saturday. But there was one little detail that the teams failed to consider.
K-Love the octopus.
He has resided in the SEA LIFE Minnesota at Mall of America Aquarium for years, but with the larger, lesser-armed Love gone that seemed a bit awkward now. So they are trading the name to Cleveland. Seriously. Here is the press release from Sea Life Minnesota (via Mr. Aquarium Matt Moore of CBS’ eye on Basketball).The memories Kevin Love has given the Timberwolves will stay in Minnesota, and the octopus will be staying at SEA LIFE Minnesota as well. The K-Love name, however, will be traded to the Greater Cleveland Aquarium to be used for their giant pacific octopus.
Trading K-Love naming rights will give SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium a fresh new start and naming flexibility in the future for its young octopus. In return for the trade, the Greater Cleveland Aquarium will be giving SEA LIFE Minnesota the rights to its Octopus name, Ocho. SEA LIFE Minnesota will most likely drop Ocho for a new name soon that will match Andrew Wiggins, the key piece in the trade.
Both Aquariums see this as a win-win. I guess. All aquariums try to spin trades that way.
You’d think the Cleveland Aquarium might want to name another sea creature after LeBron James — because unlike LeBron no fish can opt out of the Aquarium next summer. Same with K-Love I suppose, although the odds of either NBA player leaving town are only slightly higher than any Aquarium sea creatures.