NBA trade rumors: 5 trade destinations for Kevin Love
By John Buhler
While everybody seems to think that the Celtics are going to do whatever it takes to get Love from the Cavaliers in a trade, there is one simpler trade scenario that the Cavaliers must consider before trading Love: send Love to his hometown Portland Trail Blazers for shooting guard C.J. McCollum.
McCollum emerged in 2015-16 as the NBA’s Most Improved Player, starring in the Portland backcourt with superstar point guard Damian Lillard. Portland wasn’t supposed to win more than 25 games after losing four of its five starters to 2015 NBA free agency, but Lillard, McCollum, and head coach Terry Stotts prevailed anyways in 2015-16.
The Trail Blazers finished in fifth place in the brutal Western Conference and made it all the way to the Western Conference Semifinals before eventually falling to Golden State. Portland is close, but needs to find balance in the front court to have any realistic shot at dethroning Golden State in the West.
Love is a Lake Oswego native, a prosperous Portland suburb. He’d be a great long-term replacement at the four for the departed LaMarcus Aldridge who went back home to Texas to play for the San Antonio Spurs in 2015 NBA free agency.
With Love on the fall and McCollum on the rise, they are actually very compatible for a man-for-man trade. Yes, Portland would have to figure out how to best absorb Love’s current contract with Cleveland, but playing for his hometown team and with a top 10 NBA player in Lillard seems almost too good to be true. The “Dropping Dimes” Blazers would bring Rip City to its knees.
McCollum would be an All-Star at the two-guard in the East and seems to have that killer instinct that James would love that Irving and Love simply haven’t shown as NBA players. Love to Portland makes the Trail Blazers a Western Conference dark horse. Perhaps McCollum to Cleveland is a pragmatic solution to helping James bring a championship to Northeast Ohio?
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