It was noted earlier in the week that the Denver Nuggets had long-standing interest in trading for injured Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star Kevin Love.
While a trade can still be worked out, Cleveland will have to wait three weeks. The team signed Love to a max extension during the summer, meaning it will have to wait in order for him to be eligible for a trade.
If we were to believe this report from Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, none of that matters. According to the insider, trading Love is not a top priority for the Cavaliers.
“Sources reiterated to cleveland.com recently that trading Love is not high on the Cavaliers’ list of priorities,” Fedor reported. “The front office has not had deep discussions about that. Even in the midst of this losing season, dropping to the worst record in the NBA, the Cavs’ vision hasn’t changed.”
This is rather interesting for multiple reasons. Cleveland heads into Thursday’s action with a league-worst 8-30 record. It has already traded veterans George Hill and Kyle Korver for assets. Why not cut your losses and move on from a player in Love that doesn’t fit into the team’s long-term plans?
On the other hand, Love has played only four games this season after undergoing toe surgery. His market value has to be at a near all-time low. In order to move someone of this ilk, the Cavaliers would likely ask for a lot in return. That’s not happening right now.
The risk with keeping Love is that he could return to the court here soon. If so, the Cavaliers might find themselves more competitive. In turn, that could cost the team the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and the ability to land Duke star Zion Williamson.