Reports over the past couple months have suggested that the Cleveland Cavaliers are looking to trade All-Star big man Kevin Love.
It makes perfect sense. Cleveland is in the midst of a long-term rebuild. At 31 years old, Love does not fit into those plans.
Though, there are some issues when it comes to a potential Love trade. According to Jason Lloyd of The Athletic, Cleveland is demanding a first-round pick in exchange for the five-time All-Star.
Other teams are pushing back, demanding to receive a first rounder for taking on the final 3.5 years of the big man’s bloated contract.
“The Cavs are asking for a first-round pick in exchange for Love, one source with knowledge of the situation said. But teams are actually asking for a first-round pick from Cleveland just to absorb the final 3 1/2 years on his deal,” the report read. “It only takes one injury or one team to change all of that, but at this point, the gap between what the Cavs want and what is being offered seems pretty wide.”
It’s easy to see the argument from both sides. Love is in the midst of a four-year, $120.4 million extension he signed back in July of 2018. He’s still owed $110-plus million on said deal. Love has also missed substantial time over the past couple seasons to injury.
On the other hand, we’re talking about a highly-productive stretch big that could be incredibly useful for contending teams. Love is averaging 15.7 points and 10.5 rebounds on 35% shooting from distance this season.
As Lloyd noted in his report, it only takes one major injury to occur for a contending team to come calling. Cleveland is likely to hold out until closer to February’s trade deadline.