[Mr. ChicagoParticipant]

I saw this article posted on Insider, and I thought it was very interesting. What does the Forum think is the best trade? And would any/all of these trades make the Cavaliers better or more cohesive?

You’re David Griffin, the general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers. In May, you were promoted to your first full-time general manager position in your nearly 20-year career in NBA circles. By all accounts, you have more than earned the position. The spotlight is overdue.

This is your big moment, as this past summer, LeBron James, maybe the best athlete Ohio has ever seen, fell into your lap and decided to return to Cleveland to try to bring home a championship to a city that desperately wants it.

Shortly after James came back, you swung a deal for Kevin Love, the starter for an All-Star team in a loaded Western Conference. Of the top three players in player efficiency rating in 2013-14, two are now employed by your team, and you managed to get Love without giving up Kyrie Irving. Three All-Star starters, starting for your team.

Seeing your blockbuster moves, Las Vegas named your team the preseason title favorite, and outside expectations ran high. A 10-story banner featuring James, the city’s prodigal son, was raised in downtown Cleveland. A Nike spot that ran on the season opener and went viral online featured James huddling with the team and the city chanting, "Together. One city. One goal."

But your team is now struggling. Your starting center, Anderson Varejao, is out for the season with a torn Achilles, and James needed two weeks off in the middle of the season to get his body right. After an embarrassing 1-8 stretch, it’s the first time since James’ rookie season that his team has fallen below .500 after December.

Headlines are swirling with Cavs drama. James, harmlessly or not, shoved your head coach, David Blatt, the guy who you vehemently supported in a news conference just nine days earlier. That same night, Blatt benched Love for the entire fourth quarter as the team fell to its sixth straight loss. The benching came on the heels of the coach publicly saying Love wasn’t a max player even though he makes a max salary.

On one hand, the organization has preached patience, patience, patience; this could turn around. On the other, James and Love can both opt out of their contracts this summer and leave you empty-handed. 

But patience is in short supply. Your patience evidently ran out on Dion Waiters, so you flipped him to the Oklahoma City Thunder. You traded two future first-round picks for Timofey Mozgov. Those aren’t moves made from patience. Those are win-now moves.

So what do you do, fire the coach? You just held a news conference saying you wouldn’t, so it seems hard to do that now. You can’t trade James; Irving isn’t the problem.

It’s time to pick up the phone and see what you can get for Love.

Amid all the losses and benchings, Love has been the consummate professional, saying all the right things and not throwing logs onto the fire. He reiterates that he "plans" to stay in Cleveland, but we all know what is said about best-laid plans. Lest we forget about not one, not two, not three. He’s not a great fit on the roster, one with no rim protector. The coach obviously doesn’t trust him in late-game situations.

If you don’t trade him, you run the risk of watching him walk for nothing this summer. You can’t afford to be stuck in that situation, and right now, the Cavs are going down that path.

If things continue down this road, a Love deal has to be considered. The general manager’s job is to prepare for every scenario and look at the options.

Here are four trades to consider in that conference room and what they’d look like.

 

 

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Cavaliers get: G Eric Bledsoe and C Alex Len
Phoenix Suns get: PF Kevin Love
See the trade

Why the Cavs would do it: James is as close to Bledsoe as any young player in the league, and they share an agent in Rich Paul. Plus, Bledsoe just happens to excel where the Cavs are weakest: defense. Bledsoe can guard 2s as well as point guards that Irving can’t. Bledsoe is slowly shooting better from deep, and if the Cavs want to get younger and more athletic, this is the deal for them. At 7-foot-1, Len gives them a young giant who can take up space in the middle and provide depth for Mozgov and Thompson in case the latter doesn’t agree to a deal this summer.

Why the Suns would do it: The Suns wanted Love this summer and now they have a logjam at point guard. This deal solves both issues. The tri-point guard lineup has actually been successful this season, but keeping all three players — Goran Dragic, Isaiah Thomas and Bledsoe — happy all season long might be too tall of a task. Dragic running pick-and-rolls in space with Love like he did with Channing Frye last season? That’s a scary proposition. Plus, Len becomes a bit of a luxury now that Brandan Wright is in the fold.

 

 

Cavaliers get: PF Ryan Anderson and C Omer Asik
New Orleans Pelicans get: PF Kevin Love and C Tristan Thompson
See the trade

Why the Cavs would do it: This is my favorite trade of all. Anderson is Love lite — an elite stretch-4 who doesn’t give you much defensively. The good thing is that Asik can cover those mistakes. The Cavs would be taking a bit of a risk here with Asik being an unrestricted free agent this summer, but it’s hard to pass up on a defensive talent like Asik. Under the right system, he can instantly anchor a top-10 defense.

Why the Pelicans would do it: The Pelicans have searched for another star to pair withAnthony Davis, and it’s clear that Tyreke Evans, Jrue Holiday and Eric Gordon aren’t enough to push them safely into the playoff picture. The Pelicans need to leverage their youth and play up-tempo basketball, which fits perfectly into Love’s skill set as a defensive rebounder who can ignite a fast break. And then there’s this: The Pelicans have been better with Davis on and Asik off (plus-5.6 net rating) than the two of them together (plus-0.8 net rating). Though New Orleans might not be the ideal market for Love, playing next to a generational young talent like Davis may be enough to sign him long term.

 

Cavaliers get: PF Draymond Green and PF David Lee
Golden State Warriors get: PF Kevin Love
See the trade

Why the Cavs would do it: Green might be the front-runner for defensive player of the year and can guard multiple positions. The Cavs currently rank among the bottom five in the NBA in defensive efficiency and lack the energy to dig themselves out of it internally. As a glue guy hungry to win, Green would be an ideal fit next to James and Irving. Lee makes the contracts work and gives them another offensive cog to come off the bench or start.

Why the Warriors would do it: Because they want to have their cake and eat it, too. The Warriors courted Love this summer, but when Klay Thompson was the asking price, they balked. What if they could get Love and Thompson on the same team without giving up Stephen Curry? The question becomes whether they’re willing to risk disrupting the locker room and pushing all of their chips toward Andrew Bogut‘s knee. One thing’s for sure: They can’t afford to pay Green,Andre Iguodala, Lee and Bogut all eight figures annually. Dumping Lee’s salary and getting a top-10 talent in Love back? Terrifying.

 

Cavaliers get: PF Serge Ibaka and C Kendrick Perkins
Thunder get: PF Kevin Love and C Tristan Thompson
See the trade

Why the Cavs do it: You want a defensive-minded culture? Ibaka and Perkins would do the trick. Losing Love and Thompson’s offense will hurt, but the team needs an elite rim protector, and Ibaka does that better than almost anybody. Perkins might not help much on the court, but he’ll strengthen a locker room that could split at the seams.

[juves4783Participant]

i read this earlier and started to question why i even pay for insider.

none of these trades make much sense especially the ones that swap stretch pf’s and c’s.  

 

[juves4783Participant]

i read this earlier and started to question why i even pay for insider.

none of these trades make much sense especially the ones that swap stretch pf’s and c’s.  

 

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

 What about sending Kevin Love to the Knicks?  

I still think the Knicks need to trade Carmelo.

What about Kevin Love, Joe Harris, and a 2nd round pick to the Knicks for Carmelo Anthony?

The Knicks could rebuild (or whatever they call in in New York) around Kevin Love and the Triangle.

The Cavs get another scorer in Carmelo who can post up, shoot the 3, and attack from the mid-range.  It will also allow LeBron to go back to the 4 a lot of the time.

 

 

 

[juves4783Participant]

i can think of 22+ million reasons over the next 5 years why the cavs wouldn’t do that trade.

[juves4783Participant]

i can think of 22+ million reasons over the next 5 years why the cavs wouldn’t do that trade.

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

 What about sending Kevin Love to the Knicks?  

I still think the Knicks need to trade Carmelo.

What about Kevin Love, Joe Harris, and a 2nd round pick to the Knicks for Carmelo Anthony?

The Knicks could rebuild (or whatever they call in in New York) around Kevin Love and the Triangle.

The Cavs get another scorer in Carmelo who can post up, shoot the 3, and attack from the mid-range.  It will also allow LeBron to go back to the 4 a lot of the time.

 

 

 

[Tight ButtholeParticipant]

 Im confused by this article. It goes on to say that Love could walk away at the end of this season leaving Cleveland with no compensation. Why would another team trade for Love under the same premise, especially when youre including some great pieces theyd be giving up????

[xJumpManxParticipant]

 This jsut more crap from ESPN . If Lebron burps its a headline story anymore. Last night the cavs rallied around Love as he played thru pain and took a charge downt he stretch to ensure the victory.,

[xJumpManxParticipant]

 This jsut more crap from ESPN . If Lebron burps its a headline story anymore. Last night the cavs rallied around Love as he played thru pain and took a charge downt he stretch to ensure the victory.,

[Tight ButtholeParticipant]

 Im confused by this article. It goes on to say that Love could walk away at the end of this season leaving Cleveland with no compensation. Why would another team trade for Love under the same premise, especially when youre including some great pieces theyd be giving up????

[ExumInfernoParticipant]

 Maybe a three-team deal is going to make more sense, with Love going to a team he is linked to with his possible free agency.

Cavs, Lakers, and add a team looking to move salary.

The Nets, they want to get rid of salary.  A few other teams.  Below is an impossible trade idea, which is what most of the ESPN ones were too.  Minnesota and Cleveland again, with Lakers.

To Cleveland: Pekovic, Kevin Martin, Mo Williams

To Minnesota: Nash, Lin, Joe Harris, draft picks

To LA Lakers: Love, Haywood, James Jones

The Lakers would add Love, Minnesota would clear some contracts and get some picks and the Cavs would get more players for win-now.

Here is an even worse trade idea, but it might make sense if the Hornets want to start again with other free agents and think Big Al will opt-out and leave.

To Cleveland: Al Jefferson, L Stephenson, Maxiell

To Charlotte: Nash and Lin and their expiring contracts and Joe Harris, and draft picks

To Lakers: same Love, Haywood, J Jones group

JR Smith and Lance Stephenson on the same Cavs team, and with LeBron, maybe too much to pay to add Al Jefferson at forward/center.

 

For the ESPN trades, maybe the Suns one is the best.  Bledsoe can do a lot of things and the Cavs would improve in both guard spots with him plus Len is huge and has skills.  Cavs used to be small at center, with Len and Mozgov they would now be huge.

Love and Dragic and the Morris family and Plumlee in the middle, they should score a lot and be an exciting team.  Maybe the Suns would miss Len and his potential even more than Bledsoe as they have Thomas, Ennis, Green and other guard options.  But the Suns do have a Lakers pick in the next year or two and their other picks to find another large center.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ExumInfernoParticipant]

 Maybe a three-team deal is going to make more sense, with Love going to a team he is linked to with his possible free agency.

Cavs, Lakers, and add a team looking to move salary.

The Nets, they want to get rid of salary.  A few other teams.  Below is an impossible trade idea, which is what most of the ESPN ones were too.  Minnesota and Cleveland again, with Lakers.

To Cleveland: Pekovic, Kevin Martin, Mo Williams

To Minnesota: Nash, Lin, Joe Harris, draft picks

To LA Lakers: Love, Haywood, James Jones

The Lakers would add Love, Minnesota would clear some contracts and get some picks and the Cavs would get more players for win-now.

Here is an even worse trade idea, but it might make sense if the Hornets want to start again with other free agents and think Big Al will opt-out and leave.

To Cleveland: Al Jefferson, L Stephenson, Maxiell

To Charlotte: Nash and Lin and their expiring contracts and Joe Harris, and draft picks

To Lakers: same Love, Haywood, J Jones group

JR Smith and Lance Stephenson on the same Cavs team, and with LeBron, maybe too much to pay to add Al Jefferson at forward/center.

 

For the ESPN trades, maybe the Suns one is the best.  Bledsoe can do a lot of things and the Cavs would improve in both guard spots with him plus Len is huge and has skills.  Cavs used to be small at center, with Len and Mozgov they would now be huge.

Love and Dragic and the Morris family and Plumlee in the middle, they should score a lot and be an exciting team.  Maybe the Suns would miss Len and his potential even more than Bledsoe as they have Thomas, Ennis, Green and other guard options.  But the Suns do have a Lakers pick in the next year or two and their other picks to find another large center.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[nateoak10Participant]

 This season has shown that they really were better off not getting him and keeping their depth as that is the best thing about the team. Losing a guy who is 5th in the league in RPM (Green) who also is a up and coming defensive star who fits their needs more and a guy who they bring in off the bench who just happens to be only 1 season removed from putting up all star numbers for a better shooter who really badly hurts thier defensive versatility. Green’s ability to guard any spot on the floor is huge and you replace that with Kevin Love. 

And now that they are 30-5 and Klay Thompson is living up to his max contract they have all the leverage in this trade. I think they do it for Lee, Speights and any of Livingston, Barbosa or Holiday but that is a joke of an offer for Kevin Love. So this deal doesn’t get done. 

Honestly for the Cavs though this is not how you imagined Love was gonna be used. Lebron and Love have rarely ever even run a pick and roll together. That is insane. He’s still who he was from his Wolves years but this offense has been so out of sorts and just not working. It reminds me of Mark Jackson’s offense vs Steve Kerr’s. Kerr’s has shown Mark Jackson’s offense was just not working for that team. The only way the Cavs deal Love is if Love tell them they won’t resign 

 

 

 

 

[nateoak10Participant]

 This season has shown that they really were better off not getting him and keeping their depth as that is the best thing about the team. Losing a guy who is 5th in the league in RPM (Green) who also is a up and coming defensive star who fits their needs more and a guy who they bring in off the bench who just happens to be only 1 season removed from putting up all star numbers for a better shooter who really badly hurts thier defensive versatility. Green’s ability to guard any spot on the floor is huge and you replace that with Kevin Love. 

And now that they are 30-5 and Klay Thompson is living up to his max contract they have all the leverage in this trade. I think they do it for Lee, Speights and any of Livingston, Barbosa or Holiday but that is a joke of an offer for Kevin Love. So this deal doesn’t get done. 

Honestly for the Cavs though this is not how you imagined Love was gonna be used. Lebron and Love have rarely ever even run a pick and roll together. That is insane. He’s still who he was from his Wolves years but this offense has been so out of sorts and just not working. It reminds me of Mark Jackson’s offense vs Steve Kerr’s. Kerr’s has shown Mark Jackson’s offense was just not working for that team. The only way the Cavs deal Love is if Love tell them they won’t resign 

 

 

 

 

[nath09Participant]

Houston

Maybe the key pieces being either Motie and or Jones and recievand possibly Shumpert from Cleveland and what ever else is required from either side to make it work cap wise and GM wise.

I personally like this as Dwight can cover for his PF on the defensive end and Clevend adds depth and removes one of their three alpha dogs. Having said that I might want to wait a little longer to see if the three big dogs in Cleveland can form some sort of chemistry.

 

  

[nath09Participant]

Houston

Maybe the key pieces being either Motie and or Jones and recievand possibly Shumpert from Cleveland and what ever else is required from either side to make it work cap wise and GM wise.

I personally like this as Dwight can cover for his PF on the defensive end and Clevend adds depth and removes one of their three alpha dogs. Having said that I might want to wait a little longer to see if the three big dogs in Cleveland can form some sort of chemistry.

 

  

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