Cleveland Cavaliers: Pros and cons of trading Kevin Love
By Ryan Piers
Pros of keeping Kevin Love
Love is in the middle of a five-year, $113.2 million contract. He can become an unrestricted free agent in 2019 if he decides to decline his $25.6 million player option for 2019-20, so Cleveland still has some time to find Love a solid suitor before he books it for free agency.
The big man’s value is solid coming off an impressive season. Still, Cleveland may be selling low by urgently dealing Love. When he last anchored a team, Love averaged 26.1 points and 12.5 rebounds per game. That was with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2014-15.
Even though Love will turn 30 before the upcoming campaign begins, it seems to reason his best year as a Cav is the next. If Love morphs back into a franchise cornerstone, his return package could be a lucrative one for Cleveland. Even if Love averages just a few more points and boards per game, that could mean an better pick or player in return. Patience may pay off for Cleveland.
Of course, there’s also the thought that in the NBA you want to win games. In order to win games, you must have good players. Kevin Love is a good player. Keep him, and you win more games.
It’s remedial math that makes especially good sense in the Eastern Conference, where there is no obvious juggernaut. The Boston Celtics don’t have five All-Stars, like the Golden State Warriors. The Philadelphia 76ers lack a player the caliber of LeBron or James Harden. You could argue a team like Minnesota, who must scrap for a playoff spot out West, would win the Eastern Conference.
So maybe Love returns to prominence. Maybe Sexton is the real deal and other talent develops with the absence of LeBron. Maybe Cleveland contends in the East. That doesn’t happen without Love on the roster.