NBA Trade Rumors: Cavaliers Could Send Kevin Love To Celtics For Gordon Hayward And First-Round Pick

Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love is one of the superstars expected to be available on the trade market in the 2020 offseason. No matter how many times they insist they still consider him part of their long-term future, many believe that the Cavaliers are better off trading Love for assets that could help them speed up the rebuilding process. One potential partner for the Cavs in a deal involving Love is the Boston Celtics.

Though he remains an All-Star caliber player, the Celtics wouldn’t need to give up a lot of precious trade assets to bring Love to Boston. According to Eddie Bitar of Fadeaway World, the Celtics could acquire Love from the Cavaliers by simply sending a package that includes the expiring contract of Gordon Hayward and a future first-round pick to Cleveland. While he may not be a defensive-minded big man, his potential arrival in Boston could help address their lack of size and need for a starting-caliber center, Bitar noted.

“Kevin Love is one of the best shooting power forwards in the NBA and is very versatile with his ability to play the center position. Love averaged 17.6 PPG and 9.8 RPG so he can still put up good numbers. Boston need some size and rebounding on the inside because they were outmanned by the likes of Bam Adebayo with the Miami Heat this postseason. While the old school big man is no longer relevant in today’s game, a player like Kevin Love can space the floor and still rebound at a high level.”

Trading Hayward and a future first-rounder for Love would make a lot of sense for the Celtics. Instead of losing Hayward in the 2021 free agency without getting anything in return, the potential deal would allow the Celtics to turn his expiring contract into an All-Star caliber big man who has plenty of championship experience and is capable of knocking shots from beyond the arc. With his ability to excel in an off-ball capacity, he wouldn’t have a hard time fitting in alongside ball-dominant players like Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown.

Though he would likely return as the third or fourth scoring option in Boston, being traded to the Celtics would also be beneficial for Love. Instead of wasting his prime years mentoring young players on a rebuilding team, joining forces with Walker, Tatum, Brown, and Marcus Smart would give him a legitimate chance of contending for the NBA championship title next season.