NBA Trade Deadline 2020: 5 trades we love for Kevin Love

CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 20: Kevin Love #0 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on December 20, 2019 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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4. Blazing trails

It’s difficult to say what the Portland Trail Blazers are expecting to accomplish over the second half (roughly) of the 2019-20 season. Currently, they sit at the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference with a 19-26 record, two games back of the No. 8-seeded Memphis Grizzlies. With the talent on this roster and the right moves to supplement it, they could clearly make a move.

While that seems logical, the Trail Blazers recently dealt Kent Bazemore and Anthony Tolliver to the Sacramento Kings in a move that was largely meant to cut salary. Perhaps they are shifting into cost-cutting mode given their playoff positioning or maybe they are gearing up to take on a big salary like that of Kevin Love.

Bringing the Lake Oswego, OR native back home would not only likely appease the 31-year old forward but could also help Portland make a big-time late-season push up the standings as a dark-horse contender in the West. Love’s ability to stretch the floor and help facilitate the offense as a terrific passer would compliment Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum well.

Additionally, Love would be a long-term investment for the Trail Blazers to establish their own elite trio with Lillard-McCollum-Love leading the way. Sending Cleveland Hassan Whiteside’s expiring contract and a lottery-protected 2020 first-round pick would serve the Cavaliers’ purposes of shedding money and acquiring draft capital moving forward as well.

This could be a win-win for both parties, assuming Portland wants to make a playoff push with the impending return of Jusuf Nurkic.

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