NBA Trade Rumors: Ryan Anderson part of a three-team deal with the Cavaliers?
By John Buhler
Ryan Anderson is tied to a potential three-team trade discussion between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Cleveland Cavaliers that might include Kevin Love.
According to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, the Cleveland Cavaliers are in heavy trade discussions with the New Orleans Pelicans about possibly acquiring sharp-shooting forward Ryan Anderson. Isola says that a three-team deal involving Kevin Love might be in play as well.
Cleveland remains very active. Cavs in talks with Pelicans about Ryan Anderson. A 3-team deal that includes Kevin Love still in play.
— Frank Isola (@TheFrankIsola) February 17, 2016
With the Pelicans needing to either rid themselves of some albatross contracts (Omer Asik, Tyreke Evans, Eric Gordon) or ship other interesting assets like Anderson or point guard Jrue Holiday to hopefully field a competitive team to surround Anthony Davis going forward, sending Anderson to Cleveland can stand as a great jumping off point for the Pelicans in their rebuilding process.
Cleveland feels that they need a strong outside shooter and could be willing to send the Pelicans with some capable NBA players in return, something that New Orleans just doesn’t have enough of.
While the thought of sending Kevin Love to New Orleans is certainly interesting, he and Davis would play the same position and the Pelicans frankly don’t have the assets to pull a trade for Love off on their own, hence the involvement of a third team.
Anderson probably wouldn’t re-sign with the Cavaliers, as he would be relegated to a bench role as he and LeBron James play the same position at small forward. He could however be a key piece in the Cavaliers’ run towards another NBA Finals in a cast built around James.
Anderson certainly seems like he’s on the move, but would Cleveland really be willing to send Love to New Orleans? The frontcourt duo of Davis and Love certainly moves the needle for NBA fans, but would that pair be able to build a winner in the Crescent City in 2016?
It’s more likely that Anderson is going to help James bring the Larry O’Brien Trophy to the shores of Lake Erie than the Davis/Love combo making the Pelicans a championship contender as early as next season. The Pelicans front office has a way to go to deconstruct some of the bad deals it has made in recent years.