NBA Rumors: Cavaliers Trading Kevin Love If They’re ‘Blown Away’ By Trade Offer, Per ‘Cleveland.com’
Since he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the summer of 2014, rumors have been swirling nonstop around all-star power forward Kevin Love. After LeBron James left Cleveland for the second time to join the Los Angeles Lakers, most people believed that the Cavaliers would trade Love and undergo a full-scale rebuild. However, instead of trading him for assets that would help them speed up the rebuilding process last offseason, the Cavaliers decided to give Love a massive contract extension and declared him as the new face of the franchise.
The team may have finished the 2018-19 NBA season as one of the worst in the league, but they still see Love as the player that would help them return to the top of the Eastern Conference and win their second NBA championship title. Though they continue to receive trade inquiries about the power forward since the 2019 NBA offseason started, the Cavaliers still haven’t shown any indication that they will be parting ways with the all-star. According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, the Cavaliers will only consider moving Love if they are “blown away” by the trade offers of interested teams.
“The Cavs’ stance on Love hasn’t changed. If the right trade offer comes they will certainly consider it. But according to sources, the Cavs have to be ‘blown away’ with a package combining players and picks. While the phone continues to ring — other executives trying to pry away the Cavs’ cornerstone — the organization places great value, both in the short and long term, on Love’s far-reaching impact on the youngsters.”
What are YOUR hopes for the @Cavs this upcoming season? #NBAMediaDay @RealTristan13 x @CollinSexton02 x @DariusGarland22 x @KevinPorterJr x @KevinLove pic.twitter.com/xh9IcwcF7o
— NBA (@NBA) October 3, 2019
Some people may find it unreasonable for the Cavaliers to place such a high value on Love. He only played 22 games in the 2018-19 NBA season due to injury and has shown a huge drop in his shooting percentage. To convince NBA teams to pay their asking price, he would need to bring back his all-star form and prove that he can stay healthy for an entire season.
However, demanding valuable trade assets for Love might be the only way the Cavaliers can think of to somewhat decrease the trade rumors surrounding their franchise face. Though he is currently the oldest player on their roster, the Cavaliers view Love as an important part of their rebuilding process. Some of the team’s young players, specifically Collin Sexton and Cedi Osman, have shown better performances when sharing the court with the all-star power forward.
Love admitted that he is well aware of the rumors surrounding him and the Cavaliers, saying that he is prepared for whatever is going to happen. However, as long as he is in Cleveland, Love said that his main focus is to help the Cavaliers return to top form, making them a legitimate title contender in the league once more.
