I never thought this would be even up for discussion, but I guess with everything that’s gone on in Cleveland, we’ve officially reached that point. I expect the Cleveland Cavaliers to be open to the idea of possibly moving one of their bench guys and a draft pick for a quality role player at the deadline, but I never thought the idea of trading a piece of the big three would make its way into the fold.
Well, it has, and now the Cavs have to deal with the rising speculation that Kevin Love could be on his way out of Cleveland and find himself playing for another team. To be clear, I don’t think there’s much of a chance at all that he gets moved, even if he is a defensive liability, but the rumors are going to be spreading in full force as we approach the NBA trade deadline.
Many expected Love to be more comfortable in the Cavs’ system this year after signing a five-year, $110 million deal this past summer, but in reality his play this season has been the definition of inconsistent. There are nights where he’s hitting jumpers all over the perimeter and looks like the Love we all know and appreciate. However, there are other nights where he looks completely lost and out of it, which at this point is surprising, considering he’s had a season and a half to figure everything out. This is the main reason why rumors have begun to circulate that Love could be a part of a possible deal. The Cavs need consistency if they’re going to compete with the Golden State Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs, and a little luck along the way wouldn’t hurt either.
However, trading him would be a tremendous mistake. The return they would get for a player of his caliber would be lousy, and the Cavs would essentially be wasting the pick the team had to get Andrew Wiggins (the player who was part of the deal to acquire Love). Maybe two years ago you could have gotten a viable piece in a trade for Love, but now essentially every team would low-ball the Cavs if they put him out on the trade market. While it may not be fair, his numbers this season don’t help his cause or the franchise’s, and teams know his ability to play defense isn’t the highest either.
In my opinion there’s no way the rumor of the Sacramento Kings dealing DeMarcus Cousins for Love has any validity. If that were to happen the Cavs would have to give up another player, a draft pick, or cash. Cousins is on a tear this season and playing at an extremely high level, so the odds of a potential Cousins-Love swap are unrealistic at this time. Plus, do the Cavs really want a guy like Cousins on their roster who has been known for throwing numerous temper tantrums and clashing with his coaches? They just fired David Blatt last week and are trying to restore order within their locker room. Cousins’ immature attitude is the last thing the Cavs need right now.
There would also be a learning curve if a new player would be added, which of course would take some time, which the Cavs can’t afford to give up right now. Point being they just need to keep Love. There’s no offer that’s enticing enough to deal him, and we’re too far into the season to make a trade that significant. Cleveland needs to focus on what they have and figure out a way to make it work.
