NBA Rumors: Cavaliers GM Kobe Altman Reveals Main Reason Why They Aren’t Trading Kevin Love
Since the departure of LeBron James in the summer of 2018, rumors have been continuously swirling around All-Star power forward Kevin Love and his future with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Cavaliers General Manager Koby Altman is well aware of the rumors surrounding the new face of the franchise, and he’s consistently reminding everyone in the league that they have no intention of moving Love and undergoing a full-scale rebuild.
According to Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Cavaliers still continue to get calls from opposing teams about Love’s availability via trade. Fedor revealed that the Cavaliers’ phone isn’t expected to stop from ringing until the 2020 February NBA trade deadline and even in the summer of 2020 if Love is still a Cavalier by that time. However, though the Cavaliers are predicted to miss the Eastern Conference Playoffs for the second consecutive season, Altman’s stance on keeping Love hasn’t changed.
“No. Not at all,” Altman said quickly when asked if there’s interest on their side in dealing Love.
From the time he inked a massive contract extension with the Cavaliers, Love knew the path they were going to take in the post-LeBron era. Altman said that Love gave his full support to the Cavaliers and was “all in” for their long-term plan. Most people believe that keeping an aging superstar on a rebuilding team isn’t a wise move since it could slow down the development of the young players. However, Altman believes that those things aren’t happening in Cleveland, saying that Love is making his teammates better when he’s on the floor.
“For a guy that is a five-time All-Star, loves it here, wants to help us grow, I don’t know how you replace a player that caliber. He’s been great and meaningful to our guys. We are a much better team with him on the floor. The city has embraced him, he’s embraced the city and so it would be really, really tough to move on from him.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5–YAIaEeY8
As of now, Love and the Cavaliers seem to be on the same page, but nothing is permanent in the NBA. In their first six games in the 2019-20 NBA season, the 31-year-old power forward is posting impressive numbers, averaging 19.2 points, 15.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.0 steal while shooting 49.3 percent from the field and 41.5 percent from beyond the arc. Unfortunately, despite his incredible performance, the Cavaliers have struggled to consistently win games and are currently in the No. 13 spot in the Eastern Conference with a 2-4 record.
If the Cavaliers find themselves out of the playoff race once again, expect rumors surrounding Love to heat up before the 2020 February NBA trade deadline.
