NBA Rumors: Heat Could Get Kevin Love For Kelly Olynyk, Andre Iguodala & 2022 First-Round Pick
According to a recently proposed trade idea, the Miami Heat could improve their chances of returning to the NBA Finals and winning a championship next year by acquiring former All-Star big man Kevin Love from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
As explained on Saturday by NBA Analysis Network, the Heat have two “cornerstone players” in Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, and a number of talented complementary pieces, including Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson. However, the outlet suggested that they could add another such player in Love, given how the Cavaliers’ roster is “constructed in a strange way,” with a backcourt that’s getting younger and a frontcourt that hasn’t followed in the same direction.
As recommended by the publication, the Heat could bring Love to Miami by sending two of their veteran role players — center Kelly Olynyk and wingman Andre Iguodala — as well as a 2022 first-round selection to Cleveland. The site explained that this deal could help the Heat catch up with the Lakers, who added 2019-20 Sixth Man of the Year winner Montrezl Harrell as a free agent, with Love teaming up with Adebayo to give the club a “physical” pairing underneath the basket that could “compete with any team in the league.”
“Miami would welcome Love’s skill-set given his excellent rebounding abilities and three-point prowess. He would immediately benefit the team on both ends of the floor. “
Although he has yet to return to his All-Star level of play, Love produced solidly for the Cavaliers in the 2019-20 campaign. According to his Basketball-Reference player page, the 32-year-old averaged 17.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists while shooting 45 percent from the field and 37.4 percent from beyond the arc.
Discussing how the Cavaliers could benefit from the transaction, NBA Analysis Network wrote that the move could help them save some money, given how Love is set to earn upward of $30 million per season for the next three years. This, as noted, would come into play if the Cavs are planning to offer an extension to their other star frontcourt player, Andre Drummond.
While Iguodala and Olynyk could be flipped to contending teams down the line, both are “low-risk” players on relatively short-term, affordable contracts. Meanwhile, the future first-rounder could serve as the centerpiece of the trade as Cleveland continues on the rebuilding path by adding more youngsters to its core lineup.
The aforementioned trade idea is the latest one that would allow the Cavaliers to move on from Love. As reported earlier this week by The Inquisitr, it was also suggested that the Warriors could acquire the former UCLA star — as well as a future first-rounder — for former No. 1 overall draft pick Andrew Wiggins.
