Training camps are opening around the league, but NBA trade rumors remain a hot topic. A fresh rumor has surfaced that includes seven players and three teams who have all been previously linked to the trade rumor mill this summer, but at this point in time, none of those players or teams have been involved in any significant transactions — but that may change if there is any truth to the latest online trade gossip.
According to the website NBA Trade Rumors , the Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Philadelphia 76ers could be discussing a blockbuster trade involving several major NBA stars. The rumored deal is as follows: the Lakers would acquire power forward Kevin Love and small forward Dario Saric, while the Cavs would bring in center Nerlens Noel, point guard Jose Calderon, and shooting guard Lou Williams. The Sixers would close the proceedings by adding point guard D’Angelo Russell and shooting guard Nick Young.
Sometimes, these NBA trade rumors can be discounted by examining whether the deal would be allowed under NBA trade and salary cap rules. However, this potential trade follows all NBA guidelines and would be a legitimate trade if all three teams agreed on the parameters of the offer. Let’s take a look at how this trade would impact Los Angeles, Cleveland, and Philadelphia if it were to go through.
When analyzing the Lakers’ roster, this trade rumor appears to be bogus. The team does not need Kevin Love, as they already have an up-and-coming talent at power forward in Julius Randle, as well as recent signee Yi Jianlian. This trade would also greatly weaken the Lakers’ backcourt in terms of talent and depth, which is something that neither Kevin Love nor Dario Saric can help with. If this is indeed a trade that is being discussed among these teams, Los Angeles will surely make a vastly different counteroffer.
RELATED ARTICLES ON THE INQUISITR:
- NBA Trade Rumors: Greg Monroe And Jabari Parker To Lakers, D’Angelo Russell To Bucks
- NBA Trade Rumors: Paul Millsap To Cavs, Kevin Love To Thunder, Ersan Ilyasova To Hawks
- NBA Trade Rumors: Chris Paul To Knicks, John Wall To Clippers, Kristaps Porzingis And Derrick Rose To Wizards In Blockbuster Three-Team Deal
- NBA Trade Rumors: DeMarcus Cousins To Lakers, Julius Randle To Kings, Rudy Gay To Nuggets In Blockbuster Seven-Player Deal
If the Cavaliers agreed to this deal, they would likely end up starting Channing Frye at power forward, which would be less than ideal. Nerlens Noel would probably take over as the starting center, and Calderon and Williams would provide quality depth off the bench for the defending NBA Champions.
All previous NBA trade rumors involving Cleveland have centered around the team dealing for a star player to add to their roster. In this scenario, the Cavs would be sending out Kevin Love for a trio of players who would mainly just improve their depth. Overall, there isn’t quite enough value here for Cleveland to be high on this trade offer, particularly since all indications are that the team wants to add a huge impact player before the 2016-17 season begins.
The 76ers can afford to trade Noel and Saric, due to their depth in the frontcourt (per Yahoo! Sports ). Nick Young could possibly be a rotation player, but Philadelphia has little need for another shooting guard of Young’s caliber. The real boost for the Sixers would come from D’Angelo Russell, who would be a nice upgrade at point guard and possibly even a player to build around in the future. The 76ers would likely give a thumbs-up to this trade, even though they might end up waiving Nick Young after the deal was completed.
Current NBA trade rumors are pointing toward a seven-player deal between the Lakers, Cavs, and Sixers. This proposal makes no sense at all for Los Angeles, and while it looks better from Cleveland’s point of view, it is doubtful that the Cavaliers would go through with this deal. Philadelphia seems to be getting the most advantageous offer of the three teams involved, but they would be left out in the cold since they are arguably the only team of the three who would benefit from this rumored swap.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kr5sCDnYlNc&feature=player_detailpage
[Featured Image by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images]