The crazy 2019 NBA offseason featured several NBA superstars leaving their respective teams to chase an NBA championship title somewhere else. All the big names on the free agency market may have already found a new home, but there are still a number of players who could be traded before or during the 2019-20 NBA season. Though the Cleveland Cavaliers already made it clear that they have no intention of trading Kevin Love, most people still see the All-Star power forward as one of the NBA superstars who will be traded next.
Kevin Love hasn’t shown any sign that he’s no longer happy in Cleveland, but at this point in his NBA career, he will be better off playing for a legitimate title contender than wasting his prime on a rebuilding team like the Cavaliers. Once he becomes officially available on the trade market, several NBA teams are expected to express strong interest in adding Love to their roster, including the Houston Rockets. According to Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report , the Love-to-Rockets trade is one of the blockbuster deals that could further shake up the power balance in the Western Conference.
In the proposed trade deal by Bleacher Report , the Rockets will be sending a trade package including Eric Gordon, P.J. Tucker, Danuel House Jr., and Deyonta Davis to the Cavaliers in exchange for Kevin Love. The Rockets and the Cavaliers will be needing to wait until mid-December to make the deal since House Jr. just signed a new contract this summer.
“This would be an all-in gamble for the Houston Rockets, who would almost certainly need to see Love’s first few months of the 2019-20 season to be sure he’s healthy and productive. If he is, Love could be a nearly ideal complement to Russell Westbrook and James Harden. He settled into the No. 3 role almost perfectly with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving in Cleveland, and his ability to shoot would draw bigs away from the paint and give those slashers more room inside. Throw in the fact that Love played alongside Westbrook at UCLA for the 2007-08 season, and this idea has a little sentimentality to it, as well.”
Kevin Love expected to withdraw from Team USA training camp, per @ShamsCharania pic.twitter.com/mazlX6bCzn
— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) July 24, 2019
Kevin Love would undeniably be an incredible addition to the Rockets, giving them an All-Star caliber big man who can knock down shots from beyond the arc. Last season, the 30-year-old power forward averaged 17.0 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 2.2 assists on 38.5 percent shooting from the field and 36.1 percent shooting from the three-point range. What makes Love a more intriguing fit in Houston is his ability to efficiently play alongside other NBA superstars. After spending three years with Kyrie Irving and LeBron James in Cleveland, Love won’t definitely have a hard time adjusting to the role as the Rockets’ third scoring option behind James Harden and Russell Westbrook.