Pinning down Kevin Love‘s trade value is going to be a challenge and pulling off a trade for the big man may be problematic for rival teams, Ken Berger of Bleacher Report relays.
“The problem is: You have a rookie GM [Koby Altman]—who’s a really good guy and has done some really good things and is trying to prove himself. And you’ve got a delusional owner [Dan Gilbert],” a Western Conference executive tells Berger. “And they’re going to think they’re supposed to get something for the guy. You’re not getting an asset for him under any circumstances.”
Love, who remains sidelined with a foot injury, with will make approximately $28.9MM next season in the first year of the extension he signed last summer.
“It’s a lot to ask someone to take on $144 million for a 30-year-old with an injury history,” another executive said. “You’re dealing with a very small, narrow marketplace for him.”
Love isn’t eligible to be traded until January 24, which is the six-month anniversary of him signing his extension in Cleveland. Finding a suitor will be an issue. The Cavaliers will hope that a contending team will be willing to take a huge risk in order to inch closer to the Warriors atop the league’s hierarchy.
The Rockets and Thunder both make sense as landing spots should a trade occur, one Western Conference executive speculated. The Nuggets have Paul Millsap‘s $30MM salary coming off the books next summer and are fans of Love’s game. The Trail Blazers could use a floor spacer and the Pacers may see the upside he provides. The Hornets and Mavericks have eyes for the big man, Sam Amico of Amico Hoops hears, but finding a deal for either team is no easy task.
“It’s going to have to be a playoff team in a non-destination market,” one of the executives tells Berger. “A team that has a couple of stars that isn’t going to get anybody in free agency because they don’t have the room or nobody’s going to go play there.”
The Thunder-Love scenario is intriguing. Love and Russell Westbrook remain friends and have been close since their days at UCLA. Westbrook’s massive deal worth over $200MM runs through the 2022/23 (with a player option on the last year), which is the exact same timeline as Love’s contract. Paul George is under team control at least through the 2020/21 season and with those contracts, as well as Steven Adams‘ $100MM contract on the books, the team isn’t going to have cap room anytime soon.
“[GM Sam Presti] will figure it out in three years when Russell and Paul are coming to the end of their run,” the Western Conference GM said of a potential Love-to-the-Thunder trade.
It’s difficult for OKC to construct a deal for Love that doesn’t involve giving up one or more of the team’s key contributors due to the big man’s $24.1MM salary. Dennis Schroder ($15.5MM), Alex Abrines ($5.46M), and Patrick Patterson ($5.45M) would make up an interesting package, though Schroder has brought much-needed playmaking for the team, taking some of those duties off of Westbrook this year.
Adams’ salary clocks in at slightly under $24.2MM and if the Thunder have confidence that Nerlens Noel can step up into a bigger role (a big if), perhaps trading their enforcer in the middle makes sense.
However, it’s hard to envision why the Cavs would make such a deal beyond Adams’ contract expiring two years earlier than Love’s. Cleveland covets young players and draft picks as it begins a rebuild. Bringing in an additional team on a three-way trade might be the solution should a deal come together, though that is simply my speculation.
Love’s defense adds another risk to a complicated situation, as people within the league believe he is a liability on the defensive end.
“When we need a bucket against Cleveland, that’s who we attack,” an anonymous coach tells Berger. “Guys like him become hard to hide. There’s always been a premium on pick-and-roll defense, but even more so now. Everybody is spreading the floor and driving and kicking and trying to generate something going downhill.”
One executive groups Love’s contract in with John Wall‘s, calling the pair of deals the “two worst contracts in the league.”
“How many teams are really looking for a dinosaur face-up 4-man, or a 5 who can’t switch pick-and-roll?” the exec said of Love (via Berger).
Most of the pessimism comes from Love’s contract. The executive compared Love to Brook Lopez – an offensive-focused player who landed just a one-year $3.4MM deal with the Bucks this past offseason – suggesting that Love wouldn’t receive much on the open market.
The evaluation seems extremely pessimistic. Love still has value; the questions is: what is that value? He can still help a team in the win column and it’ll only take one team willing to meet the Cavs’ demands to make a deal.
I would love to see him on OKC if the don’t have to give up Stevens. The Schroeder trade looks nice. Love could easily make up for his playmaking if used correctly.
How many games has he missed last 3 seasons?
Never trust a big man with foot injuries
“One executive groups Love’s contract in with John Wall‘s, calling the pair of deals the “two worst contracts in the league.”
Chandler Parsons had to laugh out loud at that statement.
2 less years my man.
Love and Frye to suns for Anderson and Bender
*Anderson, Bender, and picks
No Love for Love?
Can’t understand that!
Maybe because of his contact and injury history and maybe because he wasn’t the same with the Cavs
Have the Cavs called Chris Wallace (Grizzlies GM)…he has a history of taking injured players on multi year contracts.
When healthy he is the best Stretch Big in the game. He took that over from Dirk once he started playing with LBJ.
However… it’s when healthy. Can’t pay up (assets) for a guy making 28.9, 31.3, 31.3, and 28.9 that misses 30 games a year. Expiring contracts and reclamation project lotto tickets are all you should expect to get.
They overpaid him to keep him for team legitimacy sake. Not sure anyone else was going to offer a bad-back big max.
If the Sixers went that route, it’s b/c they don’t believe they can land any other FA and it’s a desperate move, but if he doesn’t return this year it severely weakens their post-season hopes.
Love for Chandler + Fultz.
Rockets could offer some future picks + Knight, Chriss, and Melo.
Miami would be a solid landing spot, they could fix their logjam at the same time while getting an All Star, when healthy.
Portland could offer up ET and Harkless.
I think Blake Griffin is better than Love. Gilbert would not want Wilson Chandler, Brandon Knight, Marquis Chriss, Melo, Evan Turner, and I don’t think Miami would take Love with their payroll.
I know Gilbert wants like Top-5 Pick + an All Star. Is weed illegal in Ohio?
Griffin is defTop-10 for Stretch Bigs. You can make the case for several guys like KAT, Horford,Gasols, Milsap, Jokic.
Love, Frye and JR to Charlotte for Lamb, Batum, Williams, and a 1st
NBA contracts are insane.
It’s clown car money…..
I don’t think it would be in the best interest of any rival GM to say anything other than he has no value as it helps them in their negotiations. With that said, I’m not sure what the market will look like for Love and I’m sure teams would take him on if they could rid themselves of bad contracts too. If I’m Cleveland I’d take an asset with a bad contract or two
GMs are so wise when they’re off the record with a reporter ringing their hands over another team’s “bad” contracts. Odds are high that the guy talking has some equivalents on his payroll. So-called “bad” contracts will be a part of the NBA as long as the current system is in effect.
With guys like Love it’s really not a big deal. Right now, he’s hurt, and there’s 4.5 years left, so, yeah, it’s a bad contract. If he goes through a good stretch sometime in the next couple of years, then it might not look so bad relative to the next generation of disasters which are going to be in 40 mm range.
“the next generation of disasters” lol
That will happen!
There were some enjoyable quotes in the article. I can’t complain, even though I doubt he’s moving regardless. Gilbert/Altman is less delusional and more, they just don’t want to trade him. For one thing he sells tickets, especially season-ticket buyers who can link him to a title.
If Gilbert would do it, Love for Batum makes sense. Swaps bad contracts and fills a need for both. Hornets could throw in Kaminsky.
klove was trash before injury – slow footed and no defense