Since the departure of LeBron James in the summer of 2018, most people are expecting the Cleveland Cavaliers and All-Star power forward Kevin Love to part ways. The trade rumors surrounding Love may have somewhat died down in the 2020 offseason, but if the Cavaliers decide to lower their asking price for him, he’s expected to receive plenty of interest before the 2021 trade deadline. One of the potential suitors for Love is the Charlotte Hornets.
In a recent article, Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report suggested a blockbuster deal that would make Love a Hornet in the 2020-21 NBA season. In the proposed scenario, the Hornets would be sending a package that includes Cody Zeller, Malik Monk, and Miles Bridges to the Cavaliers in exchange for Love. If the trade becomes a reality, Buckley believes that it would help both teams improve their rosters.
“Cleveland should know by now that no one is paying a premium for the five-time All-Star. He’s too old, injury-prone and expensive for that to happen. If the Cavs could convert him into some youth (Miles Bridges, Malik Monk) and salary relief (Cody Zeller, Monk again), that should be a no-brainer. For Charlotte, this is another way of attempting to turn the offseason wins into something even more substantial. Plug Love into the starting center spot, and this offense should become must-watch TV and maybe even a top-10 unit if everything breaks right with the newcomers.”
The proposed deal is indeed a no-brainer for the Cavaliers, especially if they finally embrace a full-scale rebuild. Aside from dumping Love’s lucrative contract without giving up future draft assets, they would also be receiving two promising talents in Bridges and Monk to join their young core of Collin Sexton, Darius Garland, Isaac Okoro, and Kevin Porter Jr. Once they get rid of Love, there’s a strong possibility that the Cavaliers would consider moving Andre Drummond next.
Meanwhile, the suggested trade would allow the Hornets to become a more competitive team in the Eastern Conference next season. Love may have had some ups and downs in the past two years, but he would still be a great addition to the Hornets. He would give them an All-Star-caliber big man who is capable of knocking down shots from beyond the arc and excelling in an off-ball capacity.
The potential arrival of Love wouldn’t make the Hornets an instant title contender, but if he meshes well with Gordon Hayward, Terry Rozier, LaMelo Ball, and PJ Washington, the Hornets would have a better chance of returning to the Eastern Conference Playoffs next year.