With the Cleveland Cavaliers bracing themselves for some major overhaul this summer in the event that LeBron James bolts in free agency, they are hoping the staple of their big man rotation remains intact.
According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Cleveland is not making Kevin Love available in trade talks and hope to keep him around heading into an uncertain future:
The Cavaliers are not actively shopping All-Star forward Kevin Love heading into Thursday’s NBA draft, multiple sources told ESPN on Wednesday. Furthermore, regardless of what decision LeBron James makes about his future in Cleveland, the Cavs have interest in keeping Love next season, sources said.
Though there were times where he didn’t seem himself over his past four seasons with the Cavs, Kevin Love is still one of the premier offensive threats from the power forward position.
Of course, playing alongside LeBron James made his job much easier, specifically from the perimeter. But if James was to depart this summer as many expect, Love would be forced to be more of a focal point in the offense, something that may not be a bad thing.
As the primary option early on in his career with Minnesota, the five-time All-Star flashed his fantastic ability to score from anywhere on the court, averaging over 26 points per game on two separate occasions. Love could certainly fetch some value back for the Cavs, including perhaps a high pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.
However, it appears the Cavs are set on moving forward with Love, likely hoping to pair him with whoever they draft with their 8th overall pick. Of course, having James in that mix is the Cavs’ top priority but even without him, Love has proved he is capable of shouldering more of the offensive load.
