3 Cleveland Cavaliers takeaways from a shaky season thus far
By Tony Pesta
1. Thompson/Love should be traded
The Cleveland Cavaliers have played with the idea of trading Kevin Love or Tristan Thompson for years. This season, it may finally be time for the franchise to part ways with one or both of these vets.
Only Udonis Haslem and Stephen Curry have spent more seasons with their current NBA team than Thompson. Drafted by Cleveland in 2011, Thompson has become a fan favorite.
This year, Thompson is playing at a career-high pace. He is averaging a career-best 13.9 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. He is near the top of the league in nearly every rebounding category and is one of the best screen-assist guys available.
As for Love, his contributions to the Cavaliers four NBA Finals runs will never be forgotten. However, his days as a superstar are over and he serves little use for this current Cavs team other than fan service and veteran leadership.
Love is currently putting up 16.7 points per game, which is less than he did in LeBron James‘ last two seasons with the Cavaliers. This is surprising as many had hoped Love’s production would increase with full offensive control over the team.
Of course, it should be noted that Love has been far from a ball-dominant player this season. He has reduced his role into being more of a creator, leading the team in passes per game and is second in assists.
Both of these players are capable of helping a playoff team but are mostly being wasted in Cleveland. Though it would hurt to part ways with either Thompson or Love, it’s best for both parties to orchestrate a trade that helps both sides.