NBA Rumors: Kevin Love-For-Andrew Wiggins Trade Could Happen Again In 2020 Offseason
In 2014, Kevin Love and Andrew Wiggins headlined the blockbuster deal between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Love was sent to Cleveland to serve as the third fiddle behind LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, while the arrival of Wiggins in Minnesota gave them a young and promising talent to jumpstart a rebuild. Six years after the famous transaction, Love and Wiggins could be part of another huge trade this fall.
In a recent article, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports included the Love-for-Wiggins trade in the list of potential deals he expects to take place in the 2020 offseason. If it becomes a reality, Hughes believes it would be beneficial for all involved.
“Wiggins could go back to Cleveland where he was drafted first overall in 2014 and only played a few Summer League games with the team before he was shipped to the Timberwolves. The Cavs are light at the wing position and could use another athlete to run the fastbreak with their two recently drafted guards — Darius Garland and Collin Sexton. While Cleveland wouldn’t get the first-round pick they might covet in a Love deal, they would get younger with Wiggins, who is still only 25 and not yet in his prime.”
Though it would take away his chances of winning his first championship ring next year, being traded to Cleveland would be good for Wiggins’ career. Starting a new journey on a rebuilding team like the Cavaliers, where he could receive more playing time and a significant role on the offensive end of the floor, could help him return to the right path to becoming a legitimate superstar in the league.
Meanwhile, in exchange for Wiggins, the Warriors would be acquiring an All-Star caliber big man who has plenty of Finals experience. Love would immediately fulfill Golden State’s dream of adding a fourth superstar that would help Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green carry the team in the 2020-21 NBA season. He may not be on the same level as their preferred trade target, Milwaukee Bucks power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, but he would still be an incredible addition to their roster.
He is not only capable of spacing the floor, but he could also excel in an off-ball capacity. With the years he spent with James and Irving in Cleveland, Love won’t definitely have any problem sharing the court with three All-Stars next year. Though he remains a defensive liability, the Warriors could easily hide Love’s weakness by pairing him with Green in their frontcourt.
