Quote: The Cavs are bidding against themselves for Kevin Love right now.
That's the way I see it.
No sense driving your own price up.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
Neither have the pieces for a trade so he has to wait. They have the cap space next year. KL wants the full free agent treatment and to be wooed. Who knows?
I've heard he is willing to do an extension with the Cavs (the 2nd year "CP3" option or a whole new extension) or that he won't do any kind of extension at all because he wants to be under the new TV deal cap.
“...Iguodala to Curry, back to Iguodala, up for the layup! Oh! Blocked by James! LeBron James with the rejection!”
--I don't think Love would rather go to Boston or LA next year over Cleveland. Neither team has the talent {LeBron/Kyrie} that the Cavs do. No one player in the league will do more for Love's offense than LeBron. I also think our offense will be a very nice fit for Love.
--I don't think we are bidding against ourselves. I think it comes down to that Love is an excellent player and he won't come cheap. I am in no rush to sign him, but if Wiggins, Bennett, and our first rd. pick is what it takes, I make that move in a heartbeat.
Quote: So............now what do we have to do? Do you guys think LeBron can get Kyrie to see it the right way?
A couple things on this.. Kyrie just signed an extension and he has to now realize that he is sitting second chair (maybe third if Love comes over).. he's not in charge any more LeBron is.. so he has a couple choices. He is going to have to decide if he wants to perform the role the team gives him and likely compete for championships or if he wants to go against the system and dominate the ball, in which case he will be out of here.. JMHO.
Quote: Do you think bringing Love in would help w/that?
Don't know if it would help or hurt but it would magnify the situation.. it's just another scoring option that Kyrie is going to have either share with or compete with.. if he shares, he could be great, if he competes, he could be gone.
Quote: Do you guys think that Kyrie and Waiters can ever coexist in a positive manner?
Again, not to sound like a broken record, but LeBron is here and everything will go in, around, and through him. Kyrie and Waiters don't have to fight about who is the top dog any more because it's neither of them.. and if they want to play team ball, both can be very good, if they are more concerned about their own stats, both can find the door.
Quote: I don't know the answer to those questions and perhaps no one does,
Nobody will until we see them in live action... and I'm talking midseason after they have had some time to adjust. Until then it's all speculation.
Quote: I don't think we are bidding against ourselves. I think it comes down to that Love is an excellent player and he won't come cheap. I am in no rush to sign him, but if Wiggins, Bennett, and our first rd. pick is what it takes, I make that move in a heartbeat.
We are though ... from everything I've read the last few days, it looks like the Chicago trade was more far more rumor than credible and Golden State is in no way considering trading Klay as part of a deal so that trade is dead as well. Love himself has reportedly told Minnesota that he only wants to be traded to Cleveland. So any team that was considering trading for him before, is probably not going to bother giving up assets for a one-year rental.
Nobody else is going to out-bid us here. The only reason to trade for him now is to get him in before training camp ... do we really need to gut our assets for that? Like everyone is saying, we are bidding against ourselves. We can give up Wiggins, Dion and Bennett now ... or wait a few months and probably get him for just Dion and Bennett ... or wait a year and get him for just draft picks in a sign and trade.
Quote: A 1-year rental of KL is okay as long as Wiggins isn't part of that deal. I don't want to give up his future so that KL can walk to LA or Boston after one season.
To be honest, I'm not sure who has the leverage right now, which is probably why a deal hasn't been made.
Yup, to deal Wiggins, Love must do a Sign and Trade so we not only have him locked up but we get his Bird rights.
If Love won't do a sign and trade the best I offer is Bennet/Waiters/Thompson.
Quote: Yup, to deal Wiggins, Love must do a Sign and Trade so we not only have him locked up but we get his Bird rights.
As far as I know, if we trade for him, regardless if he re-signs before a trade, we'd get his Bird Rights. All a sign-and-trade would do is guarantee him to be on the roster more than a year.
Quote: Yup, to deal Wiggins, Love must do a Sign and Trade so we not only have him locked up but we get his Bird rights.
As far as I know, if we trade for him, regardless if he re-signs before a trade, we'd get his Bird Rights. All a sign-and-trade would do is guarantee him to be on the roster more than a year.
Sadly, the NBA CBA is much more complex. The Twolves can only give him a 2 year extension and that is only if he opts-in for next season. So, he can get 3 more total years after this upcoming season. Kicker: all based on this past season's cap #'s, which are expected to be going up a ton in the next 2 years.
If Love waits until next July, then he can get a 5yr deal from the Twolves based on next year's cap number. Or, he can sign a 1 year deal worth more than his opt-in contract and then sign a 5year deal in 2016 for his "then present" team for a much bigger contract (hence, why LeBron signed a 2yr deal with us).
So, basically, Love has no incentive to sign anything long-term right now unless he thinks his play is going to fall off a cliff.
If you wait, some team will make the move for LOve..He is too talented, and a lot of teams could beat a trade of Dion, and Bennett. Who knows, by then Bennett might still suck. I don't think the Wolves make the trade with the CAvs unless they get Wiggins. Once we include Wiggins, I don't think we will have to give up Waiters. If the Cavs say Waiters is a deal-breaker, Saunders would be an idiot to pass, since he won't get a better deal with Wiggins included..
Love is a top 10 player. We can't sign him in free agency, so of course you will have to give up something to get him.. Just a few months ago, most on here wanted to tank for rookies. If we only have to give up wiggins/bennett/filler, we are the favorites to win the championship. what more could you want?
Quote: Love is a top 10 player. We can't sign him in free agency, so of course you will have to give up something to get him.. Just a few months ago, most on here wanted to tank for rookies. If we only have to give up wiggins/bennett/filler, we are the favorites to win the championship. what more could you want?
We can easily sign him next year, it's the NBA people will always take salaries if you give them something..
"Wiggins/Bennett/Filler" The problem I have with that is the "filler" cause it's looking more and more like Filler is Waiters and 3 draft picks..
Trade away all our assets, and we have no way of improving the team going forward...
and Irving/LeBron/Love is the favorites in the EAST, hardly the NBA... and I still think a team like Indy could feed Hibbert all day inside on that team...
I want Love, I just don't want to gut the team to get him, we already got the one guy any team would gut themselves to get...
There is no reason to overpay.
Hell if GS trades for him, we can always throw money at guys like Aldridge next year..
Am I the only one that pronounces hyperbole "Hyper-bowl" instead of "hy-per-bo-le"?
Quote: and I still think a team like Indy could feed Hibbert all day inside on that team...
Still makes me a bit sick to think that we could have Noel instead of Bennett... If we had Noel instead of Bennett, I wouldn't even be considering including Wiggins in any deal...
I don't think it will be that much. The Wolves already will get Wiggins, don't think they have a need for Waiters. It looks like they're more interested in getting Young from Philly. We would crush the Pacers with our big 3. The Old heat destroyed them over and over, and that was with Lance. I think our main rival will be Chi-town. All i know this will be a historic summer for the cavs. Kevin Love and Lebron in a single month will be mind-boggling..
Quote: BREAKING: Cavaliers Agree To Trade Andrew Wiggins, LeBron James For Kevin Love SPORTS NEWS IN BRIEF • Sports • NBA Basketball • ISSUE 50•28 • Jul 18, 2014
Facebook22.7K Twitter3.4K Google Plus96 CLEVELAND—Following lengthy and protracted trade negotiations, the Cleveland Cavaliers announced Friday that the team has agreed to deal No. 1 draft pick Andrew Wiggins and four-time league MVP LeBron James to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for power forward Kevin Love. “Though it was a tough decision to let Andrew and LeBron go, we felt that adding Kevin gives our team the best chance to compete for an NBA championship next season,” said Cleveland GM David Griffin, adding that it ultimately wasn’t possible to acquire Love from Minnesota without giving up both Wiggins and James. “We’re thrilled to welcome Kevin to the team. I have no doubt that he will be a great fit in Cleveland and will quickly become a fan favorite.” Griffin went on to say that everyone within the Cavaliers organization wished Wiggins and James nothing but the best in Minnesota.
Quote: If Indiana had Lance, they'd be a serious threat to us. Paul George and Lance would have been a real handful. Our only threat is Chicago.
I'm not sure about that..if the playoffs were in october then I would say yes because they'd still have Rose, but from Nov-Jun, i'm not worried..noah/gasol don't scare me
Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday. -John Wayne
You know, Maybe that Caroline's Cupcakes rumor was actually legit.
Think about it -- LeBron gave all his neighbors cupcakes to apologize for the circus around the house.
Maybe he got them from Caroline's Cupcakes and had called them a week ahead of time to let them know "Hey, I'm gonna need a large order of cupcakes" so they had a heads up?
No. 4 pick in the 2012 draft Dion Waiters has been a decent offensive weapon during his first two seasons in the league. He's a very streaky shooter who likes to be aggressive while dominating the ball. It's a style of play that is fine for a young guy learning his way in the league, but with the Cleveland Cavaliers bringing LeBron James aboard, he'll have to refine the way he attacks on the court. He won't be afforded the same usage rate and amount of dribbles in a possession he's used to.
Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com tells us Waiters is planning on changing his game to be better suited to run alongside James and Kyrie Irving. He's going to study the way Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade played with LeBron and try to pick up tricks for playing off the ball and figuring out how to be more involved on offense without the ball.
"I have to make adjustments," Waiters said. "I like to have the ball, and we have Kyrie, and he likes to have the ball. So I have to find ways to impact the game without having the ball. I'm planning to go watch tape to see what D-Wade did when he played with LeBron. I need to learn how to be effective out there with him."
Wade and Waiters have similar styles of games; neither is a strong outside shooter who would excel waiting on the perimeter for James to deliver a pass. It took Wade awhile, but he learned to be highly effective cutting off the ball and finding space playing alongside James. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra also constructed effective rotations where Wade played frequently without James on the floor.
"[Wade] is a ball-dominant guard, too, and when LeBron came over, he had to change his game, too," Waiters said. "He was so efficient, though, and that really helped their game. I think I can learn a lot from what he did."
Waiters averaged 15.9 points in his second season in the NBA but needed 14.2 shots to get those points. He made 43.3 percent of his shots and 36.8 percent of his 3-pointers. It's hard to trust that 3-point percentage because he made just 31.0 percent of downtown attempts his rookie season, so it's hard to know which shooter to expect moving forward. But next to LeBron, he'll be able to spot up for better shots from outside, which gives him a good chance of taking better shots with a higher accuracy in those situations.
Even compared to the 2013-14 version of Wade in which his reputation fell from being a top 10 player in the NBA to a long-term detriment to the Heat's plan, he still averaged 19.0 points and made 54.5 percent of his shots. He was a horrendous 3-point shooter at 28.1 percent, but he only took 32 attempts in 54 games. Waiters took 250 attempts from downtown last season. Learning to play off the ball, cut to the basket at the appropriate time in David Blatt's offense, and know when LeBron is looking at him to connect on a play could turn him into a very dangerous third option. If the Cavaliers trade for Kevin Love, having Waiters as a patient, explosive fourth option would be even better.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
Before the NBA Draft, Kevin Love was the hot commodity on the trade market with five or six teams looking to acquire him. After the draft and LeBron James' big decision this summer, it looks like the Cleveland Cavaliers are the only team left in the mix to deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Teams are seemingly dropping out of the momentum of the trade negotiations being leaked and the Cavaliers are reportedly trumping all offers.
ESPN.com is reporting the trade is more of a "when" than an "if" when it comes to a deal getting completed. The Cavs' potential offer involving No. 1 pick Andrew Wiggins is enticing the Wolves more than any other offers, and it's causing the rest of the league to feel pessimistic about being able to trade for the All-NBA power forward.
The Minnesota Timberwolves presently are engaged in serious Kevin Love trade talks with no teams other than the Cleveland Cavaliers, which only adds to the growing belief around the league that Love teaming up with LeBron James is inevitable, according to sources briefed on the situation.
After ESPN.com reported last week that the Cavaliers remain the front-runners to acquire Love in a trade co-headlined by No. 1 overall draft pick Andrew Wiggins, sources this week have described the Cavs as the only team currently in contention for Love. Sources say the Chicago Bulls are increasingly pessimistic about their chances of trumping Cleveland's offer, while theGolden State Warriors remain unwilling to bend on their longstanding refusal to surrender Klay Thompson in a deal for Love.
The Golden State Warriors have seemingly been unwilling to include Klay Thompson in a deal for Love. This was the deal Wolves' president was reportedly most interested in for quite some time because it would have brought in Thompson, David Lee, and possibly Harrison Barnes. The Wolves believed the deal would have kept them competitive enough to challenge for a playoff spot in the highly competitive Western Conference playoffs. The Chicago Bulls reportedly had a trade package including Doug McDermott, Nikola Mirotic, and Taj Gibson, but it's not as enticing to the Wolves as getting Wiggins, by these accounts.
Wiggins would give the Wolves the exciting young star to galvanize a mostly apathetic fan base for a franchise that has spent the last decade in the lottery. While it wouldn't get the Wolves back into the playoffs right away, they could build around a young core involving Wiggins, Ricky Rubio, Gorgui Dieng, and Zach LaVine. Anthony Bennett has also been rumored to be included in the deal. With Wiggins signing his rookie contract earlier this month, a deal wouldn't be able to be completed before Aug. 23.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
well, at least now ESPN is admitting we are bidding against ourselves. if we play it close to the vest, then there is no reason we'll need to include Wiggins. be patient.
only the Cavs are talking with them was my point there.
ESPN has been consistently off with these discussions and been corrected by other outlets the whole way. They are clinging to their "Wiggins has been included" mantra, but I have seen elsewhere that he has not been. Sam Amico being one such report: https://twitter.com/SamAmicoFSO/statuses/492414335893786624
The Bulls refuse to include Butler, the Warriors refuse to include Klay. Now, both of those teams have just dropped out of talks.
Yes, I think the Twolves want Wiggins. But, I also think that their leverage is poor because if Love wants to come here then they can either get something decent back for him now or they can wait until next July and accept whatever piddly package we offer them in a sign-n-trade. The longer they wait, the worse their return becomes. And, please remember, Love has little reason to sign an extension now because it's much more fortuitous to do so next July.
And, I say this hating what we are doing to Twolf fans. It stinks for them to have lost Garnett not too long ago and now losing Love. Both times for a little youth talent and some draft picks. It completely starts their rebuild over and has got to be torturous. But, in the NBA, the players have the power and this is what is setup.
Quote: LeBron-bashing ad from Miami radio station rejected
1 / 34 The Plain Dealer's front page for Saturday, July 12, 2014. Joey Morona, Northeast Ohio Media Group Print Evan MacDonald, Northeast Ohio Media Group By Evan MacDonald, Northeast Ohio Media Group Email the author | Follow on Twitter on July 29, 2014 at 10:06 PM, updated July 30, 2014 at 6:30 AM 0 Reddit Email CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Miami radio program on Tuesday attempted to buy a full-page advertisement in The Plain Dealer to poke fun at LeBron James.
A mock-up of the advertisement posted on Twitter depicts two Miami Heat championship rings above the words "You're Welcome, LeBron." Below are the words "Sincerely, Miami Heat Fans."
Representatives of The Dan LeBatard Show called the Cleveland media outlet on Tuesday to purchase a full-page advertisement in this Sunday's edition of the newspaper, Northeast Ohio Media Group Vice President of Sales and Marketing Mike Maleski confirmed. NEOMG sales staff are responsible for ads in The Plain Dealer.
The show's request was "politely declined," Maleski said.
LeBatard acknowledged during his show, which airs on Miami radio station The Ticket, that the ad was rejected. The show would have raised the money to buy the ad space through the online crowd-funding website Kickstarter.
They have declined our money. They do not want our money. They will not allow us to put our ad in the paper. "They have declined our money," LeBatard said. "They do not want our money. They will not allow us to put our ad in the paper."
LeBatard said during the show that the ad was not intended to be mean-spirited, but rather a way to poke fun at James and Northeast Ohio residents who watched him win two championships in Miami.
James, who signed a two-year, $42.1 million contract to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this month, won two NBA championships and reached four NBA Finals in his four seasons with the Miami Heat.
LeBatard also said during his show that part of the reason he wanted to buy ad space in The Plain Dealer was because LeBron James has yet to publicly thank Miami Heat fans.
LeBatard said his show was also attempting to buy a full-page advertisement in The Akron Beacon-Journal.
Blogging with the Enemy: Discussing a potential Kevin Love trade with Canis Hoopus
It has been impossible to escape the trade rumors. The Cleveland Cavaliers want Kevin Love. The Minnesota Timberwolves want Andrew Wiggins. And so here we are. Last night, I spoke to Eric from the Wolves blog Canis Hoopus about Love, Wiggins, Dion Waiters, Anthony Bennett, and other stuff.
As you will hopefully see, our conversation was quite civil. I respected his opinion, he respected mine. Let's please try to take a similar approach in the comments here, and over at Canis Hoopus if folks from our community venture over.
Eric: If the Cavs wind up making a trade that is in outline Wiggins and Bennett for Love, where will you be on the happiness scale, with 1 being so angry you are tempted to burn down the arena, and 10 being just won the lottery giddy?
Mike: If that trade goes through, I would probably be a 9. I think that Love is an incredibly talented player, and any talk about him being overrated is kind of silly. He would instantly make the Cavs a championship contender, which I don't think they are without him. The only reason I wouldn't be a 10 is that I do like Wiggins a lot, and I think that he will end up being very valuable player on a rookie contract. I also still have some hope for Bennett, and it would be a bummer to see him figure it out somewhere else after all he went through here last season. But I'd get over those issues pretty quickly and be thrilled at the idea that LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love would all be on my team. Not in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that.
Where would you be on that scale? And what's your take on Love? Overrated, properly rated, or underrated?
Eric: I would probably be a four. Look, it sucks to lose a superstar, as you know. It's painful and it just feels like the cycle won't ever end. The Wolves have been crap for a decade, and ever since Love has emerged, they have failed to build around him properly. They also failed to give him a five year deal, which means he is gone even earlier. The deal for Wiggins and Bennett (which I actually think is going to happen) is not a bad one as these things go, though obviously it pretty much depends on how you feel about Wiggins. I'm not totally sold, as there are real areas of weakness that aren't certain to get better. Still, he obviously has talent, and if he becomes a star, then the trade is less painful. I am also intrigued by a deal with the Bulls if the right pieces are offered, but it looks like the Cavs deal is the focus right now.
Love is tremendous. An absolute force who does almost everything you want done well, except help defense. I know this is a sticking point for many, but he is not a bad defensive player. He's pretty good on the ball, but does not rotate or alter shots on the weak side. Other than that, there is nothing he doesn't do. And while obviously LeBron James is going to be awesome in any situation, it's hard for me to think of a better pairing than James and Love.
I know a lot of folks on FTS would not give this a 9 on the happiness scale...can you change gears and present the anti-trade argument as best you can?
Mike: You are correct that many people in our community are opposed to trading Wiggins for Love. I don't want to speak for anybody else, but I do think they'll come around if it happens, because, again, the Cavs would have LeBron, Kyrie, and Love ON THE SAME TEAM.
But here's the argument against it: Love can obviously become a free agent next summer, and no matter what leaks about him wanting to play with LeBron, I doubt that he's going to make any guarantees about staying in Cleveland. If for some reason things go badly this season, he could be gone. If he does re-sign with the Cavs, they will be in an extremely inflexible position going forward. Irving just signed a max extension, and LeBron has made it pretty clear that he wants max money for the rest of his prime. Giving Love his own max (or something close to it) would make it really difficult to field any key role players around those three guys.
Wiggins is raw, but he has the talent to become an All-Star and an elite defender. His defense could help save LeBron, who won't have to guard the opponent's best player on every possession. And he's cheap. If he starts to figure it out in a couple of seasons, he'll be a really nice piece alongside Kyrie and LeBron, and he'll still be on his rookie contract.
So that's the argument against it, from the Cavs' perspective. It's not a bad argument. But at the end of the day, I just think that if you have a chance to add a superstar in exchange for a relatively unknown commodity, you have to do it.
Eric: It's funny. As a Wolves fan, I am all about the worst case scenario. If it's bad, it's gonna happen. But the central point of that argument--that Love might not re-sign, strikes me as incredibly unlikely. I just can't see it, unless LeBron also makes a u-turn and opts out to go elsewhere, which obviously isn't going to happen.
From my perspective, I'm shocked that so many Cavs fans are against this. I suspect people would have similar reactions to some of the positions I hold about the Wolves; there are good and bad things about being so close to a team. You know the ins and outs better than anyone, but I wonder if sometimes we don't lose perspective by getting too close. To me, it's a no-brainer. You just signed the best player in the world, who is turning 30. In four years, he's still going to be a great player almost certainly, but is unlikely to be the best player anymore. You have to cash in now. Having Love with LeBron and Irving gives you your best chance to win while LeBron is a singular force, and is frankly a pretty ideal age range as well, with Love being 25.
Meanwhile, the Wolves are going to try to walk a very thin line of trying to acquire young talent without going full-rebuild. Which is tough, and I'm not sold they have the chops for it, but I applaud the attempt. I'm not really a title-or-bust kind of fan, and back to back 15 and 17 win seasons is not something I want to endure again.
Mike: I definitely understand not wanting to have to endure a full rebuild. There's no way to sugarcoat it, tanking sucks. It also sucks for you guys that the Wolves are in the West, which makes building a playoff team that much tougher.
Let me ask you this (even though I think I already know the answer): Is there any combination of players/picks that the Cavs could offer without including Wiggins that would intrigue you? I know I said I didn't want to speak for other fans, but I think everyone here would agree with me that getting Love without having to trade Wiggins would be the dream. Dion Waiters? Tristan Thompson? Bennett? Anything? The Cavs also have future first-round picks from the Heat and Grizzlies, plus most of their own future picks (with the exception of their 2016 first-round pick).
I've seen a lot of our fans say that Bennett/Thompson/Waiters and a couple of first-round picks is a better offer than Minnesota has on the table from any other team. I don't necessarily agree, but let me put it out there. The Cavs could also throw in Anderson Varejao if you'd like. Why is it Wiggins or bust for you?
Eric: No. It obviously has to include Wiggins; he's the one guy who could actually wind up moving the needle. A couple of points on this: I don't like your other guys as much as you guys seem to. I guess Waiters could wind up OK in a sort of Jamal Crawfordy he-shoots-too-much-but-he-brings-something-to-the-table kind of way. Bennett was historically bad as a rookie. I know there are reasons, but he would just have to be SO much better even to be passable that it's hard to be excited. Thompson is just a guy.
We are fairly confident that the Bulls would give at least Taj Gibson, Doug McDermott, and a pick or two. I would much rather do that than any non-Wiggins Cavs deal. Taj is way better than anyone else being talked about. (Actually, if they would include Mirotic, it becomes very hard for me to decide which I like better between that and a Cavs deal WITH Wiggins).
Even if that Cavs offer without Wiggins was the best offer, I wouldn't take it, and I doubt Flip Saunders would either. At that point, I'd just play it out. See if something better comes around at the deadline, and if not, I can live with making Love walk away from the extra money the Wolves could offer him next summer. I think he would walk away, but that's OK. They can't cave to dealing him to the Cavs without Wiggins.
Mike: Well, I figured I at least had to ask.
Alright then, as we start to wrap this up, what do you think the odds are that Love is on the Cavs by the start of the season?
Eric: 70%. I think it's going to happen. Let me be clear that I do not have sources. I make zero claims to inside knowledge. But I've been around the team and media in the Cities for a long time now, and I get the sense that this is going to get done. I suspect that they have agreed to the parameters already,and are working the edges of it, and seeing if a third team makes sense, as the Wolves are also looking for a power forward.
One thing I'm looking forward to is watching the Cavs with James and Love on League Pass. I think your team is going to be very good and a fantastic watch.
What about you--think it happens?
Mike: I'm right there with you around 70%, maybe even slightly higher. It makes sense for both teams. The Cavs get their best shot at winning a title while LeBron is still in his prime, and the Wolves get the best young prospect they can. We were all told that the Cavs had Jabari Parker at the top of their draft board for most of the season anyway, so I'm not sure that they're as in love with Wiggins as much of our community is.
So I guess we'll see. If Love doesn't end up here, I hope he stays in Minnesota and plays out the season. The Wolves could very well make a run at the playoffs if he's back, and I know it's been a little while for you guys. As somebody who has rooted for a lot of terrible basketball teams since my childhood, I know what that's like. I hope you can avoid having to go back to that place.
I think the Cavs need to back off and seriously reconsider what they are doing. This is going off the assumption that the reports of what we are offering (Wiggins, Bennett, multiple first round picks, plus filler) are true, and they might not be. But let's just say that they are.
On the surface, Wiggins for Love is a no brainer. Love is already an elite player, top 10 in the NBA, and only just entering his prime. He's a unique talent and an elite scorer, rebounder, and 3 point shooter for his position. He will probably be a better player for the next several years than Wiggins ever will be. And teams still win in the NBA with stars and superstars. Even the Spurs have had players like Robinson, Duncan, Ginobili, Parker, Leonard, etc. I think Tim Duncan is the best and most accomplished player since Michael Jordan, and it helps when your best players take long-term pay cuts to facilitate adding depth. And let's not forget Pop either.
That's the good. James, Love, Irving is an incredible big three who would fit together well, and the Cavs would still be in a good position to add respectable depth with the other players and assets they have and the NBA exceptions available.
The bad is the following:
- It's not just Wiggins for Love. It's Wiggins plus at least a few other valuable players/assets for Love
- No team has ever traded a player as valuable as Wiggins for a player forcing his way out of a team. Didn't happen with Melo, Harden, Williams, etc.
- Will Love stay or do we just get him for one to two years? Two angles here, and I've only seen the first one discussed: Will he leave in free agency? Perhaps go back home to the Blazers or to LA where he played college? I would think that's unlikely, but it's a possibility...
- The other thing I'm worried about is the new CBA in a couple years. Gilbert a while back was a thorn in the side of the NBA. It wasn't just the letter about Lebron. There was also a letter that led to the nixing of the Chris Paul to the Lakers deal. He pushed hard for salary cap reform that would disallow a team like Miami to keep and pay a big three. How ironic would it be, if in two years, the James - Love - Irving combo had to be broken up because of a hard cap, or luxury tax penalties even more severe than they are now? Meanwhile, Wiggins and the other players/picks traded would be emerging young players on rookie deals.
- If we can't put together a Wiggins-less package for Love, there might be other players available in the foreseeable future. I don't see why it has to be Love or bust. Sit tight, make a trade sometime in the future and you could have a big four of James-Irving-Wiggins-Whoever.
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