Cleveland Cavaliers: Pros and cons of trading Kevin Love

Cons of keeping Kevin Love

Kevin Love is on the backend of a hefty contract for five years and $113.2 million. Every penny of his $24.1 million base salary this season is a cap hit against the Cavs. Trading him alleviates pressure on the pockets of the front office, immediately freeing Cleveland to sign potential free agents like Klay Thompson, Jimmy Butler or DeMarcus Cousins next summer.

With Love, the Cavs appear to be entering NBA purgatory. They will likely compete for a bottom seed in a extraordinarily weak Eastern Conference, lumbering to the postseason before being crushed by Boston or Philadelphia. Why put themselves through the ordeal? Just blow up the roster and be done with it.

Plus, Kevin Love earned Cleveland an estimated 6.4 wins last season. Replacing his minutes with a player worth, say, one or two wins a year could help the Cavs “earn” a much higher lottery pick. The difference last year between the New York Knicks, the league’s ninth-worst team, and the third-worst team, the Atlanta Hawks, was five games.

That puts Cleveland in position to maybe nab an R.J. Barrett or Zion Williamson next draft.

Finally, the NBA’s Central Division is improving. The Indiana Pacers added Tyreke Evans to compliment bona fide star Victor Oladipo. The young Milwaukee Bucks are more experienced with guru Mike Budenholzer at the helm as head coach. Blake Griffin will have a year to jell with Andre Drummond and a presumably healthy Reggie Jackson. Even the upstart Chicago Bulls, with a talented young core, could be challenging with the addition of Jabari Parker in a “prove it” year.

The arrow on Cleveland’s most immediate competition is pointing up. It’s the perfect time for the Cavs to take one step back in order to take two steps forward.