After yet another humiliating loss, this time to a Thunder team which scored a season high 148 points, the Cavaliers’ turned their frustrations to Kevin Love. Love left Saturday’s game midway through with an illness before missing Sunday’s practice, allegedly raising the eyebrows of several of his teammates. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, a number of players questioned the legitimacy of this illness. Wojnarowski also claimed that Love was given a chance to defend himself, and some issues appeared to have been resolved, but with the trade period less than two weeks away this has inevitably led to endless questions about his future in Cleveland. Here are the top 10 trade scenarios featuring the Cavaliers’ number one big man.
10. Kevin Love for Kent Bazemore, Dewayne Dedmon
This one could potentially really suit the Cavs. According to TNT’s David Aldridge, the Cavs have enquired about the services of Bazemore. He would be a good fit for a team yearning for consistency at both ends of the floor from their wings. Bazemore does not have the shooting capacity of, say, JR Smith, but 38.2 percent from downtown this season is a career high and is more than acceptable. More importantly, he is a competent defender, with his 7-foot wingspan in a 6-foot-5 body, combined with his athleticism, enabling him to guard a variety of positions.
Dedmon is no superstar, but he is an underrated big man having the best season of his career. He is averaging 10.4 points, eight rebounds, and almost a block per game in just 23 minutes, and while he has no ability to stretch the floor, he would provide a better option than Love as an interior defender.
The main question here is whether the Cavs would go for it – trading an All-Star caliber player for two role guys isn’t always looked upon fondly. Cleveland would love to swap out Dedmon for John Collins, the rookie turning plenty of heads in Atlanta, but the Hawks would no doubt need more to get rid of their young star. In Dedmon and Bazemore, the Cavs don’t receive any superstars and certainly lose out on offense in this trade, but that end of the floor isn’t their problem. In adding an able wing defender and rim protector they would undoubtedly improve at the defensive end of the floor, while maintaining enough talent at the offensive end to put up winning scores.
9 . Kevin Love for Evan Fournier and Bismack Biyombo
The Cavs would probably demand a little more than this, but the basis for a trade is there. Fournier is having a career year, putting up 18 points on 45.9 percnet shooting and 39.8 percent from beyond the arc. His numbers have progressively improved every season of his career. The main issue may be that he’s generally not regarded as a great defender, but his defensive stats this year suggest that he’s better than at least three of his fellow starters in Orlando – though that may not be saying much.
Biyombo is hugely flawed on the offensive end, and his inability to finish basic plays has at times been a major problem for the Magic, but his rim protection would be a valuable addition to the Cavs team. With him on the floor instead of Love, they would lose out hugely on spacing at the offensive end, but that’s not their major concern at the moment anyway. The problem may be that in Biyombo and Thompson they would have two bigs with similar weaknesses, but in acquiring a relatively young talented offensive player, and a rim protector, they just might get a little bit better.
8. Kevin Love and Brooklyn’s 2018 1st round pick for DeAndre Jordan and Lou Williams
Hear me out. Some would question the Clippers giving up two of their best players in this scenario, but despite their recent improved form they are a mid-table team at best, and look set to wallow around that mark for years to come if they don’t make significant changes. This trade would be an acknowledgement of that, and an investment in the future. Kevin Love and Blake Griffin would be an interesting duo – it could easily keep them competitive, and they could either live with that or use one or both of them as future trade assets. It also reduces the salary cap of what is currently a significantly overpaid roster. Regardless, it gives them options.
For Cleveland, it would be an interesting pickup. Williams isn’t necessarily the kind of player they want – extremely talented offensively and limited defensively, but his form this year is such that any team would be happy to have him. Coming off the bench alongside Dwyane Wade would give them a potent second unit.
Jordan could complement their team nicely. He is a major downgrade from Love on the offensive end, and a big upgrade at the defensive end – exactly what the Cavs need. Plus, surrounded by the likes of Thomas, James, and Williams, all of whom demand at least a little attention on the perimeter, and playing alongside one of the best passers of all time, his offensive arsenal (basically dunks off pick-and-rolls) could become more effective.
7. Kevin Love, Iman Shumpert and Cleveland’s 2018 first round draft pick for Khris Middleton and Jabari Parker
Risky. Parker is the great unknown in this trade. The 22-year-old is coming off an ACL reconstruction, and appears just about ready to return to the NBA arena. The second pick in the 2014 draft averaged 20.1 points and 6.2 boards in his 51 games last year, showing his capabilities at the NBA level. Coming off a knee reconstruction though, it’s anyone’s guess if he’ll be able to reproduce that form, and if he can it may not be immediately.
Middleton would be an excellent addition to the Cavs lineup. Still underrated in the league, he is able to do a little bit of everything. He can score big time, as evidenced by two 40 point games already this season, can distribute, as shown by his four double figures assist nights, and is a nightmare on the defensive end when he chooses to bring it with his 7-foot wingspan.
Milwaukee would be loathed to give up either of these players, but in Kevin Love they get a guy who can slip into the starting five position in place of John Henson, someone who they’d clearly like to upgrade on. Love doesn’t fit the defensive profile of the rangy Bucks, who prefer switchable, lanky and agile guys. They are, however, one of the worst teams in the league at rebounding, and for all his flaws Love is good at that. He also provides a scoring option at center, something which they severely lack. The Cavs' first round draft pick won’t be a high one, but it is something for the Bucks, and allows the Cavs to hold onto Brooklyn’s first round pick, which will be much higher.
Shumpert would be a sweetener, another long-armed guy who can defend various positions at a high level, just as the Bucks want.
6. Kevin Love and Channing Frye for Brook Lopez and Jordan Clarkson
The main question here is whether the Cavs think Lopez and Clarkson are enough for Love. Lopez is a good NBA player on the right team, and at the moment he is clearly on the wrong one. The Lakers play fast and like lots of spacing, and Lopez simply can’t keep up. At his best though, he is a wily scorer, and though he is far too immobile to make an elite defender, his size makes him a formidable presence at the rim.
Clarkson is heavily criticized but is having a solid year off the bench, adding 14.3 points and 3.3 assists in 23 minutes of playing time. He can score, facilitate, and importantly, defend to a solid level, and would be a suitable, if unspectacular, addition to the Cave roster.
The Lakers would likely jump at this trade opportunity. Walton appears to play Lopez more out of obligation than desire, and Clarkson isn’t making his way past any of the plethora of talented young guards and wings on their roster. The Lakers' Achilles heel is their shooting – they rank dead last in 3-point percentage – and Love and Frye would both help them to improve on that.
5. Kevin Love and Brooklyn’s 2018 first round pick for Marc Gasol and Tyreke Evans
Clearly, this trade doesn’t take into account Kevin Love’s feelings. Being traded to a team with a 17-29 record for their two best players (excluding the injured Mike Conley) doesn’t bode well for Love. For the Grizzlies though, it could work, as hard as it would be to get rid of one of their all-time greats in Gasol. Their team as it is going nowhere, and needs to spend a couple of years in the lottery to sort things out. This trade would give them a Brooklyn pick which is looking likely to fall somewhere between picks 7-12 to go with the lottery pick they are likely to earn on their own.
The Cavs don’t want to trade the Brooklyn pick, but in doing this they can add two high quality players who fit their needs. Gasol is ageing, but is showing no signs of slowing down. He is a versatile big, able to score in a number of ways as well as facilitate, as evidenced by his 18.1 points (including 34 percent from deep) and 3.9 assists a game this year. His defense has slipped a little this year, but he is still a high IQ defender and would bring a lot more on that end than Love.
Evans is having a terrific year in the absence of Conley, averaging 19.4 points, 5.1 boards and five assists a game. He may not be the most efficient player in the NBA, but he can play, and could be a good fit for the Cavs coming off the bench and running the second unit.
4. Kevin Love for Kelly Oubre Jr and Otto Porter Jr
Positionally, this would be a relatively bizarre trade, but it could have benefits for both teams. Washington wouldn’t be happy about losing two of their young stars, but they are nearing crisis mode. Despite boasting one of the best backcourts in the league, they are just 26-21 and in a cluster of teams between 4th and 10th in the East. Their Achilles heel is, at least in their starting lineup, Marcin Gortat, who is averaging just nine points and eight rebounds in his 11th season and is clearly on the decline. Love would add great versatility to their starting lineup, and with him playing alongside Beal and Wall they would be a force to be reckoned with.
For the Cavs, they gain two wings who fit their needs perfectly. Both are capable defenders and knock down 3-point shooters. Oubre is connecting on 40 percent of long range attempts this year, while Porter hits 42.6 percent. Both have long arms, can switch easily, and generally show up on the defensive end of the floor. Just what the Cavs need! The problem, of course, would be the lack of a replacement center. Thompson would need to return to the starting lineup, and Ante Zizic would surely see more minutes. Certainly a downgrade on Love, but with what they add elsewhere on the floor this could easily be a net win for the Cavs.
3. Kevin Love for….no one!
Kevin Love stays. Despite all the alleged fractures within the Cavaliers locker room, this is the most likely outcome this trade period. Love is an All-Star caliber player who, while flawed, is probably the second most important guy on their roster. He is being played out of position at the defensive end of the floor, and considering that he is doing a solid enough job. Offensively he is capable of taking the game away from opponents, and regularly gets streaky early in games. He and LeBron have developed a cohesive offensive relationship, and have together contributed to one of the most potent offenses in NBA history. If Love stays, the Cavs will not continue to lose games at anywhere near the rate they currently are – the question, though, is whether they will be anywhere near good enough to challenge the best of the best.
2. Kevin Love, Brooklyn’s 2018 first round pick, Cleveland’s 2018 first round pick, and Iman Shumpert for Kawhi Leonard
The Cavs would be hard-pressed getting this one done, but if they did they would skyrocket back into contention. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Michael C. Wright, the star Spur has become disenfranchised with his team of late. Whether this means he has any intention to leave is unclear, but if there is any truth whatsoever to the report then the Cavs would be silly not to make a phone call. Leonard is the best two way player in the game, and while his offensive prowess would be welcome, his potential impact on the Cleveland defense would be the most attractive part of this trade for the Cavs.
Luring him to Cleveland, though, would not be easy, and the Cavs would need to offload just about every quality asset they have. Alongside Love, the Spurs would need the two first round picks the Cavs have available to them. Shumpert would be nothing more than a sweetener and wouldn’t have a major impact on whether this trade works, but he is defensively sound and could contribute to a Spurs offense on which role players are more useful than on any other team in the league.
1. Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson and Brooklyn’s 2018 1st round pick for DeMarcus Cousins
This would be a huge move. Cousins is having one of the best all-around seasons of his career, putting up 25.6 points, 12.9 boards, 5.2 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.5 blocks a game. On Monday, he became just the sixth player in history to score 40+ points, grab 20+ rebounds and dish out 10+ assists in his game-winning 44-24-10 in the Pelicans double-overtime victory against the Bulls. Though he is not the perimeter shooter that Love is, he has a versatile offensive game. Arguably his biggest weakness is attitude-related, but with LeBron and the various other veteran players on the Cavs’ roster, they would be confident they can keep him under wraps.
The biggest focus for the Cavs in this trade needs to be on defense. Cousins isn’t a star at this end of the floor, but he isn’t bad either, and his huge frame would provide a presence down low that is missing when Love is at center. Thompson is a more competent defender at the five, but his offensive limitations are such that he can hardly get on the floor to begin with, and the Cavs clearly don’t want to start him.
The toughest part of this trade for the Cavs to swallow would be the sacrifice of Brooklyn’s 2018 1st round pick. With an ageing roster and an element of uncertainty surrounding their ability to compete in coming years – something which will be based largely on whether LeBron opts to leave – they will be loathe to offload future assets. Cousins replacing Love and Thompson, though, would likely improve their performance for this season, and for that reason alone it needs to be considered.
Follow Us
Subscribe