The trade everyone was waiting for did not happen. Minnesota did not trade Kevin Love to the Lakers or pass the burden to any other team. But the rumors did not let up at all.

The rumors only became more creative. They have even changed in shape and form. As it was established, the only way that the T-Wolves can keep Kevin Love is to make the playoffs and win-and still, that is not a guarantee.

Minnesota got down to business after the trade deadline and Kevin Love had an MVP performance as he recorded his first triple-double.

Against the Utah Jazz, the worst team in the West (triple tie with Lakers and Kings), Minnesota won 121-104 behind Love's 37 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists (stats from nba.com). It was a sign of hope, but at the tail-end of their back-to-back, the Wolves lose again.

They lost to Portland, 108-97 on a game when the Blazers missed their main man, LaMarcus Aldridge. Kevin Love had a good effort with 31 points and 10 rebounds, but the total team effort led by Damian Lillard's 32 points were too much for Minnesota. Kevin Love had some comments:

"This is a good team, even with LaMarcus out. They're good, they can put up points in a hurry. They shot the ball well and this is one of the best, if not the best, crowds in the league."

Every loss ends with Kevin Love looking at how the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. How many more years will Love refer to the opposite bench as a 'good team' before he finally quits?

Well, if Frank Underwood were the Lakers GM, he would still be on bad team, but they would be called the Los Angeles Lakers. Grantland.com made a fan fiction feature in which "House Of Cards" protagonist Frank Underwood (masterfully portrayed by Kevin Spacey) is the Lakers' GM.

Jason Gallagher of Grantland had executed it in his feature. Typical Underwood uses cunning, coercion and blackmail to lure Flip Saunders into a panic trade. Can Mitch Kupchak follow the example?