NBA Free Agency 2017: One trade every team should make
Cleveland Cavaliers
As the rumors swirl around a Kevin Love for Paul George swap, the Cavaliers need to think about what’s best in the long-term. George only has one year remaining on his deal, alongside a burning desire to pursue his manifest destiny in L.A.
During Cleveland’s Finals ruination, we found Love…in a…hopeless place. Whether fair or not, he was always going to take the fall since his slow foot speed made him the most mismatched against Golden State. Putting George in his spot would help, but it wouldn’t put them over the Warriors.
What Cleveland needs to do is round out their roster with better wing options and financial flexibility. They have nearly $130 million committed over each of the next two seasons. Cleveland’s biggest problem in the Finals was not having enough two-way support players in their lineups. While star-power propels you into the upper-strata of the NBA, the correct balance of chemistry and skills determine championships. Whatever help Iman Shumpert brings on the defensive end, quickly gets negated by every one of his jumpers that clang off the side of the backboard.
The greatest upgrade the Cavs can get is not having to choose between offensive zeros or defensive liabilities.
The Denver Nuggets have stockpiled talent for the past couple seasons. Their cache adds up to one budding unicorn, a bunch of good players, and not enough minutes to go around. The remedy for that would be packaging a bouquet for a star. Cleveland trading Love for the bundle of Wilson Chandler, Will Barton, and Gary Harris would fill the potholes in the Cavs roster so they wouldn’t have to trot out washed-up vets anymore.
Love would give the Nuggets three more years of control, along with a second building block to team with Nicola Jokic. Sure, that pairing would hemorrhage points on the defensive end, but the offense would hum with two skilled, stretch-bigs. Not to mention, the picturesque vision of Love becoming Denver’s flintlock; rifling outlets in the high altitude to spark their up-tempo attack would be a lot of fun.