Since LeBron James left for the second time in the summer of 2018, most people were expecting the Cleveland Cavaliers to trade their veterans and focus on the development of their young players. The Cavaliers may be insisting that they have no intention of undergoing a full-scale rebuild, but their roster, as currently constructed, doesn’t have what it takes to contend for the NBA championship title or even earn a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Though both of them are yet to demand a trade, rumors are circulating that Cavaliers veterans Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson would be happy to be in a better situation than where they are right now.
According to Joe Vardon of The Athletic , Love and Thompson “would like to play” for an NBA team that has a realistic chance of contending for the NBA championship title.
“Sources close to both players said that, yes, they would like to play for a team with a chance to win another title as they reach the later stages of their careers,” Vardon wrote, as quoted by Cavaliers Nation .
“So they would, essentially, welcome trades out of Cleveland if something like that came up. But don’t read too much into it. It’s not so simple, and at any rate, they have neither asked out nor are they playing as if they want out.”
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Love and Thompson may haven’t shown any indications that they already want out of Cleveland but at this point in their NBA career, they would undeniably be better off being traded to a legitimate title contender than wasting their prime on rebuilding team like the Cavaliers. Once they become officially available on the trade market, several NBA teams will surely express strong interests in adding both veterans to their roster.
Love would be a great addition to NBA teams who are in dire need of additional star power to contend for the NBA championship title in the 2019-20 NBA season. After a season filled with injuries and frustrations, the 31-year-old power forward is now back from posting incredible numbers. This season, Love is averaging 18.2 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 2.9 assists while shooting 44.4 percent from the field and 34.7 percent from beyond the arc. With his ability to excel in an off-ball capacity, Love won’t definitely have a hard time making himself fit on a team that already has one or two ball-dominant superstars on their roster.
Meanwhile, Thompson may not be as good as Love, but he would still be an intriguing acquisition for NBA teams who need frontcourt help. Trading for Thompson, who is currently in the final year of his contract, would enable NBA teams to become more competitive while preserving their salary cap space for the summer of 2020.