NBA Rumors: Kevin Love-To-Dallas Trade Could Make Mavericks ‘Title Contender’ In 2019-20 Season
After months of insisting that they have no intention of moving him, rumors are currently circulating that the Cleveland Cavaliers are finally ready to listen to trade offers for All-Star power forward Kevin Love. Several NBA teams who are in dire need of additional star power are expected to express a strong interest in acquiring Love before the 2020 February NBA trade deadline, and that includes the Dallas Mavericks.
Luka Doncic and the Mavericks are currently establishing a very impressive performance in the 2019-20 NBA season, sitting in the No. 3 spot in the Western Conference with a 17-8 record. However, despite their strong start, the Mavericks aren’t still considered on the same level as Western Conference powerhouse teams like the Los Angeles Clippers and the Los Angeles Lakers. According to Brad Botkin of CBS Sports, the Mavericks could change the narrative by trading for a player of Love’s caliber before the 2020 February NBA trade deadline.
Love may not be as dominant as LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, and Paul George, but Botkin believes that pairing him with Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis in Dallas could turn the Mavericks into a “title contender” in the 2019-20 NBA season.
“Same as the Heat, the Mavericks could become a fringe contender now by adding Love, who would make an already devastating offense borderline unstoppable, but they also figure to be one of the major players in the impending 2021 Giannis sweepstakes. Adding Love next to Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis would have defenses stretched out to the parking lot. You put Luka in that kind of space, with that kind of shooting around him, and he’s going to burn buildings down. Doncic and Love playing pick-and-pop with Porzingis as your third-best player? That’s a title contender. Right now.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0_kAvQNBeA
Love would undeniably be an incredible addition to the Mavericks, giving them an All-Star caliber big man who can efficiently knock down shots from beyond the arc. This season, the 31-year-old power forward is averaging 16.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists while shooting 44.0 percent from the field and 36.1 percent from beyond the arc. What makes him a more intriguing fit in Dallas is his ability to excel in an off-ball capacity.
With the three years he spent with James and Kyrie Irving in Cleveland, Love won’t definitely have a hard time adjusting to the role as the Mavericks’ second or third scoring option and building chemistry with Doncic and Porzingis in Dallas.
In the proposed trade deal, Botkin suggested that the Mavericks could offer a trade package centered around Tim Hardaway Jr. to the Cavaliers in exchange for Love. To further convince the Cavaliers to make the deal, the Mavericks may also need to add a young player and/or a future draft pick in the trade package.
