There’s a belief within the league that the Cavaliers will receive trade inquiries for Kevin Love this offseason, as Joe Vardon of The Athletic writes.
“Yes, one of the big-market teams that fail to land a big fish are going to make an offer for Kevin,” an executive told Vardon. Another source said that if Love was a free agent this summer and coming off of an injury-free year, he would be in line for a massive deal.
“He would get four years and $120MM in this marketplace,” the other executive said. “I mean, Al Horford might get a similar deal.”
Love will make slightly under $29MM during the 2019/20 season and has approximately $91MM on his deal in the ensuing three years. The opinion that Love’s contract allows him to be a positive asset isn’t unanimous throughout the league.
“His contract is hard to digest unless he’s clearly the missing piece,” a separate league executive told Vardon.
Love has been the subject of trade rumors ever since the Cavaliers acquired him during the 2014 offseason. He signed an extension with the club last offseason and the team has resisted trade overtures. GM Koby Altman won’t deal Love unless the return makes the Cavs a better squad, and Vardon writes that it’s unlikely that the kind of deal that Altman is looking for will surface.
Here’s more from Cleveland:
- Trading J.R. Smith appears unlikely at this point, Vardon adds in the same piece. The team will need to waive him by June 30 to avoid paying his full contract. Only $3.9MM of his deal is guaranteed for next season.
- Vardon (same piece) hears that the Cavs are likely to do David Nwaba “a favor” by not tendering him a qualifying offer, thus allowing him to hit the market as an unrestricted free agent.
- Free agency in Cleveland should be quiet with the franchise currently over the salary cap, Vardon explains. It’s unlikely the team uses a “significant” portion of its mid-level exception or the trade exception the franchise netted when it dealt away Rodney Hood this past season.
- While cutting Smith loose will get the Cavaliers below the luxury tax threshold, it’s unlikely the team will consider going back over that line to fill their last couple open roster spots. Vardon expects Cleveland to fill those spots with minimum salary players.
While Kevon Love is better offensively, Al Horford is the better player. Also, despite Horford being 2+ years older, he doesnt have near the injury history Kevin Love has, so I trust him to bring more value than Kevin Love would on a big contract. That being said, for obviously matters, and there are some teams that could use the offense pretty desperately, assuming he is healthy
Fit*
Horford is just a better version of Paul Milsap and look how that signing went. Love is better than Horford when healthy.
U less cavs get a great offer might as well keep Love, a Veteren whose had a great career an really help the young guys.
Trade : Love for Wiggins ?
Why? He won’t help defensively. Takes bad shots and that’s without the possible bad locker room presence but Jimmy Butler is a known headcase so it’s hard to judge based off that incident.
We gotta stop with these narratives. I’ve NEVER heard anyone call Wiggins a locker room problem. He rubbed Butler, the vet, the wrong way but it had nothing to do with Wiggins being a bad guy.
That being said, prior to the draft I would’ve liked that trade. Wigins is still young and he’s a capable player. Post-draft I’d rather not and allow Cedi, Sexton, Garland, Windler and Porter JR be the rotation guys for the back court and SF positions.
Wiggins is an awful player by every advanced metric, and his game has gotten worse ever since he signed that big contract. At this point in his career, he can’t score efficiently, isn’t a good shooter from deep and doesn’t play good defense.
Wolves would have to give up a lot to move what is arguably the worst contract in the NBA.
He’s this generation’s Rudy Gay.
He wishes he was Rudy Gay.
Love is over rated. Nobody wants the contract! #FakeNews
Dude your overrated. Stop with this “fake news” because you’re using it incorrectly. You can’t call an opinion you disagree with “fake news”. A healthy Kevin Love gives you 20/10/3 and stretches the floor as a 36% or better shooter (historically). He’s still 1 of 4 or 5 players that had at least 15 points, 10 rebounds and shot 36% or better from 3pt range. If fully healthy he would be an excellent addition to teams that need a stretch 4 as a 3rd scoring option like Lakers, OKC, Portland, Rockets, Sixers, Bucks, etc. Shoot, what contending team other than a healthy GSW couldn’t use a guy like Love? Health is the only thing needed for him to justify his contract. If he can return to a 20+/10+ with shooting at or near 40% then that’s an all-star ladies and gentleman. Problem is, the guys who might want him don’t really have picks or young assets that are enticing. Maybe Capella because the Cavs could use an upgrade to their defense but Rockets are likely going to offer late 1st round picks.
Are all comments moderated or just certain words?
It seems random to me. Or at least not the usual naughty words.
New York, New York
Whereas JR is headed to LA to rejoin Lebron
Cavs should keep Love unless they get a real nice piece back. Something more than Nassir Little. KLoves a pro that the youngsters can learn from and his spacing on the court will help tremendously with their development. Sexton thrived with Love on the court surely the other tools will as well.
I think Love could be a great mentor for Dylan Windler. A SF version of Love.
Remember the Klay Thompson for Kevin Love time, many years ago? Sure am glad GSW didn’t make that trade. LBJ would’ve surely had another ring or two. And perhaps GSW would have one less ring.
I was all over this website saying it would be extremely dumb to move Klay Thompson for Kevin Love. I also said I wouldnt trade Wiggins for him, so I guess the credit cancels out lol
I’m a Cavs fan and I was extremely reluctant to move Wiggins for Love at the time too so I’m right there with you
I still thought it was wrong 2 years in, but it didn’t matter b/c Cleveland ended up winning due to the variables involved in that series. That was before I 100% realized who exactly Andrew Wiggins is, in terms of not actually caring.
At that point I knew GSW was on the rise– management there knew the sync was building and so resisted a sweet opportunity. The Cavs though were just starting a cycle and had a sudden surplus at the 3!
I got into so many arguments with people. I kept saying how much I thought their roster was perfect for today’s game (I didnt realize how that was actually an understatement), and at the time, I considered Klay Thompson to be either the top 2 guard in the league or at least 2nd best. I had already picked them to win that year too, as I did the day LeBron went back to Cleveland when GS signed Shaun Livingston, so I kept saying they would squander that chance. It actually got relatively heated, if I recall correctly
How would Livingston squander chances? Moderately priced FA. On the other hand, Iguadala…
But yes much heat. On one side, GSW mgmt kept feeling a need to repeat, no to Love!– and it seemed a shocking stance.
Cleveland.com, instead of being filled with confident happy fans after James signed, was mysteriously filled with angry Wiggins fans. But the deal was already closed in Florida between James and Gilbert and MIN, with promises made. “@Dump Kevin Love” is still posting on the regular on that site and guess what he has to say.
Trading Klay Thompson for Kevin love would have squandered the chance. Maybe I phrased it wrong
Vardon counted 15 max slots around the NBA, and only 8 at most max-level FAs to fill them. But it’s not likely Love will move.
Who cares about Wiggins in the locker room? We win games on the court. He is a slacker…doesn’t practice or play hard…which is what drove thibs and butler crazy. Embarrass him on the bench. Potential…..not performance. When he is in contract year….he will play his ass off and some sucker will pay him again. He will move to Klutch Sports.
Was glad the Cavs traded Wiggins for KLove was freaking happy cavs won a championship with KLove. Cavs would e won the first meeting if both KYrie ANS KLove weren’t injured. Then Kyrie must’ve gone goofy as he turned to the flat earth people for suggestions.
Am still glad KLove is with the Cavs. However, history of injury puts him on the fast track out of town if the price is right. If not, keep him.