Kevin Love Trade: 5 Best Potential Destinations
1. Cleveland Cavaliers: Unfortunately for the Celtics, Warriors and Suns, Kevin Love joining the Cavs just makes too much sense for both teams and for Love himself. Love would be forming the league’s new premier Big Three with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving and the Cavaliers would immediately become at least Eastern Conference favorites. The question then becomes what the potential deal would look like. The Cavs lucked out with the No. 1 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft and used it on Andrew Wiggins, a player who seems as likely to become a superstar in the right situation as he is to be a bust in the wrong one. In Cleveland, under LeBron’s tutelage, Wiggins wouldn’t carry any pressure and could flourish in time. In Minnesota, he’d be their No. 1 guy for the future and carry the Wolves’ expectations on his shoulders.
Flip thought if was a prank call RT@RealGM: Broussard: Cavs offer Dion Waiters, Anthony Bennett, first round pick to Wolves for Kevin Love.”
— Brian Geltzeiler (@BGeltzNBA) July 11, 2014
But no matter your opinion on Wiggins and his potential, the Wolves are adamant that he’s part of any deal for Love, which the Cavaliers are resisting much like the Warriors are reluctant to give up Klay Thompson. The Cavs could put a deal together like Dion Waiters, Tristan Thompson and Anthony Bennett, but that might not be good enough for Minnesota, even if Bennett has lost a lot of weight and looks like a very improved player in NBA Summer League so far.
Love wants to play with LeBron and would re-sign in Cleveland when his free agency rolls around in 2015. The only stalemate here is Andrew Wiggins. If the Cavs found a way to work out a trade without including Wiggins, they’d be absolutely feared for years to come, and they could find a way to do this by involving a third team. For example, the Cavs could trade their young assets and future draft picks to the Philadelphia 76ers, who would center their package to Minnesota around Thaddeus Young and in the process, help Cleveland nab Love.
But no matter how it happens, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves seem destined to work out a deal. The Warriors were in pole position for awhile, but now Kevin Love feels like he’s Cleveland’s to lose.