Will the Cleveland Cavaliers trade veteran big men Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson to a contender before the trade deadline?
The NBA trade deadline is February 7th. The Cleveland Cavaliers are going nowhere fast and have players that could interest contending teams in Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson.
Even with Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson the Cavaliers are not a good team. Cleveland has one of the worst records in all of basketball. It is not like the presence of either is helping them win games on a consistent basis. If Cleveland can get something in return for either player they should definitely explore those options.
Kevin Love has the ability to space the floor on offense and sees the floor well for a big. The issues with Love are on the defensive end of the floor. To be blunt, Love is a liability defensively. He is just unable to keep up with some of the quicker and more agile players that are growing in number in the modern NBA. A team that is already solid defensively and can hide his flaws could do so just for his abilities on offense. On the other hand, a team that is not great defensively could expose his flaws even more so.
Tristan Thompson could draw some interest due to his ability as an aggressive rebounder. Thompson is proficient on both ends of the floor when it comes to rebounding and is able to keep possessions alive for multiple shot attempts. Thompson may be appealing to a larger group of teams because of his defensive ability and steadiness on the offensive end, he knows what he is capable of and won’t go out of his comfort zone. Tristan Thompson will live on offensive rebounds, dunks, put backs, and getting fouled close to the basket. This is valuable to a team with championship aspirations.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are in team building, long term, big picture mode. It is extremely unlikely that Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson will be on the team when they are good again. It is also unlikely that they are anywhere near the level of player they are now when that time comes. Contending teams will come calling. They will probably offer draft capital in one way or another. It would be wise to seriously consider trading one or both players. Look towards the future, do not reminisce about the good times in the past.
