Out of all 30 NBA teams, it’s doubtful that any franchise has had more of a rollercoaster 2017-18 campaign than the Cleveland Cavaliers. They’ve been marred with injury problems all season which seemingly directly translated into locker room tension.
The tension sprouted when Kevin Love was interrogated for why he missed the second half of a blowout at the hands of the OKC Thunder in late January. While it was first believed that now-traded point guard Isaiah Thomas was the one who had the biggest issue with Love’s exit, Cleveland.com’s Joe Vardon reports that it was actually veteran Dwyane Wade who sparked all the drama:
As things started heading south for the Cavs in January, Wade was an instigator in the infamous team meeting Jan. 22, hours before they flew to San Antonio.
Yes, Thomas was upset that Kevin Love went home with an illness before a 24-point loss to Oklahoma City had concluded on Jan. 20, and that he was not at practice the following day. But, sources said, it was Wade who first made an issue of it on Monday, challenging Lue to disclose where Love had been. Numerous players verbally attacked Love, who eventually explained his absence as part of a wide-ranging, heated discussion in which virtually no one was immune from criticism.
This falls in line with when the Cavs were expected to have begun shopping Dwyane Wade so now his trade to the Miami Heat makes even more sense. With Wade often sitting out due to rest over the past few years, it seems slightly hypocritical of him to question someone’s ability to play but perhaps he was attempting to fill his role of leadership off the bench.
This uneasiness among the Cavs players resulted in one of the busiest trade deadlines we’ve seen in NBA history out of one single franchise as they shook up almost half of their roster. The Cavs made two separate moves that brought in four new, youthful faces.
The incorporation of athletic, young, drama-free talent has appeared to give the Cavs a much-needed breath of fresh air as they head down the season’s stretch.
