5 potential trade destinations for Kevin Love

3. Portland Trail Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers badly needed help at the 4 even before Zach Collins‘ injury, and against all odds, Carmelo Anthony‘s NBA return is helping fill that need. However, counting on his early success continuing throughout an 82-game grind would be quite a risk, and even with Melo playing surprisingly well, the Blazers are still 9-14.

Most of their new additions from the summer — namely, Hassan Whiteside and Kent Bazemore — have disappointed thus far. It’s pretty clear Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum need aid, and a third star like Love might raise their playoff ceiling. It’s no surprise, then, that either Whiteside or Bazemore would be expendable in a potential deal.

In this Whiteside deal, trading away the Blazers’ only capable center would leave them severely shorthanded in the frontcourt, but Love is a rebounding machine and has experience playing as a small-ball 5. The amount of shooting on the floor might counterbalance those potential defensive flaws, or at least be an upgrade over what these Blazers are doing on a night-to-night basis.

Another alternative would be shedding some wing depth by moving Bazemore, Rodney Hood and a first-round pick for Love. Hood just tore his Achilles, which is a devastating blow to him, Portland and this hypothetical trade, but he’d need to be included for financial purposes. Hopefully Bazemore’s expiring deal and an unprotected first-rounder would be enough compensation for Cleveland in this scenario.

The problem here is Cleveland needs affirming veterans for its rebuild, and Whiteside has never been known for that sort of reputation. He’d come off the books this summer, but the Cavs are in no rush; they don’t have to poison their locker room — even if it’s only for a few months — if they don’t want to.

The Blazers are one of the most sensible Kevin Love suitors out there, but how they’d manage to put together a functional deal that would entice Cleveland remains to be seen.