Image via Getty/Fernando Medina/Contributor
NBA trade rumor szn is finally heating up, as tonight Woj broke some news that the Cavs are now open to trading Kevin Love. This shouldn't really surprise anyone with the Cavs being in the middle of a rebuild, but it's interesting that the news leaked so early into the season. Of course, Woj's report comes on the heels of an Athletic story that stated a number of Cavs players were upset by the way new head coach John Beilein was running the team like a college program. No names were included in the report, but many wondered if Love was one of the upset Cavs players.
The fact that Love missed tonight's game with an illness and then the trade news came out seems like one pretty big coincidence. It's unclear what the Cavs might want in return for Love, but there's no doubt that he could help a contender this season and beyond. He's also under contract for the next three seasons, which should be of value to any team trying to trade for Love. With the news now out there, the Complex Sports team put together a list of five teams that should start looking for a way to trade for Love.
Portland Trail Blazers
There's really no other team to start with than the Blazers. Kevin Love is from the area and has long been mentioned as a potential target for the team. It's unclear what it would take to get a deal done, and there would likely be a third team involved, but if the Blazers were able to pair Dame and CJ with Love, they'd quickly become a dangerous team in the West. The K Love to the Blazers rumors aren't going away anytime soon.
Phoenix Suns
The Suns are one of the biggest surprise teams early in this NBA season as they hang around the 8th seed in the Western conference. While they have a fun and young team, there's no question that adding a player like Love would take their roster to the next level. He'd not only bring spacing to the offense, but would be a wonderful piece next to Devin Booker. This move would surely put the Suns right in the heart of the playoff race the rest of the season.
Boston Celtics
If you remember, before Kevin Love was traded to the Cavs, there were strong rumors that he'd consider going to the Celtics as his next team. Things worked out just fine in Cleveland after winning a title in 2016, but could the Celtics be Love's next home? Boston would have to get creative with the money to make a Love deal work, but they do have plenty of draft capital available to try get something done. Love's fit in the Celtics system would likely be pretty smooth and they'd surely still be one of the best, if not the best, teams in the East.
Denver Nuggets
This is another team that Woj mentioned while talking about a possible Love trade. The Nuggets surely have assets to get this done and it would be interesting to see how Love would fit next to Jokic on the floor. They'd be maybe the worst defensive frontcourt in the NBA, but the spacing and offense would be a sight to behold. Plus, defense is for nerds, anyways.
Miami Heat
It's no secret that Pat Riley likes to make a big splash and this would surely count as a big splash. Would the Cavs and Heat be able to get a deal done? That's another story, but Love would be the type of PF that could excel in the Heat system and help bolster their standing in the East. Would have to wonder if Love is ready for the 3 a.m. workouts with Jimmy in South Beach?
Houston Rockets
This is probably the most interesting Kevin Love destination. Who knows how the Rockets would be able to get this done, but adding Love to Harden, Westbrook, and Capela would be a tough out in the West. This would be a complicated deal to complete based on the money the Rockets already have on their books and the assets they gave up for Russ, but Morey has never been one to backdown from a challenge.