Since the departure of LeBron James in the summer of 2018, nothing has gone well for the Cleveland Cavaliers . In his first year as the face of the franchise, Kevin Love suffered a grave injury. In the 2019-20 NBA season, the Cavaliers are still set to suffer another huge disappointment despite having him back on their roster. The 2020 February NBA trade deadline may have passed with the Cavaliers deciding to keep Love, but they are highly expected to have a different approach this summer.
In a recent article, Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report discussed every NBA team’s outlook in the 2020 NBA offseason. For the Cavaliers, Bailey believes that their focus should be exploring the trade market for Love and start building around Collin Sexton.
“He’s been a staple of one of the organization’s most successful periods, but Love doesn’t figure to be a prominent part of the next good Cavs team. That squad is likely years away. And converting that contract into younger players, picks or even cap flexibility could clear the path for that team. This offseason should be about exploring Love’s market and finding ways to supplement Collin Sexton, who showed in-season growth similar to Tatum’s, though on a smaller scale.”
From the time they lost James, it’s crystal clear what path the Cavaliers should be taking. Though the 2019-20 NBA season is far from over, it proves that even with a healthy Love, the Cavaliers don’t have a realistic chance of contending for the NBA championship or even earning a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. As of now, it would be best for the Cavaliers to trade Love for assets that could help them speed up the rebuilding process.
Love may have remained committed to the Cavaliers, but at this point in his NBA career, he would undeniably be better off playing for a legitimate title contender instead of wasting his prime years mentoring young players in Cleveland. With his ability to knock down shots from beyond the arc and efficiently coexist with other superstars, Love would undeniably be an incredible addition to NBA teams who are in dire need of more star power to strengthen their chance of competing for the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Finding an NBA team who will be willing to absorb Love’s lucrative contract is indeed a tough challenge for the Cavaliers. However, if the Cavaliers won’t demand too many valuable assets in return, there will surely be several NBA teams in the 2020 NBA offseason who will take the risk to add Love to their roster.