Remember when Kevin Love made clear he doesn’t want join the Cavaliers? Cleveland even gave up on a Love trade.
Funny, LeBron James has a way of altering perception of the Cavaliers.
Cleveland has renewed interest in Love, and the feeling is mutual.
Marc Stein of ESPN:
Source close to situation says Kevin Love indeed "intrigued" by idea of being dealt to Cavs and would commit long there if traded there
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 11, 2014
Quick, Flip Saunders, get the Cavaliers on the phone while they’re going gaga over LeBron. I know you wanted to delay, but now is the time to pounce. Maybe you can catch Cleveland in euphoria and negotiate a steal.
Broussard: Cavs offer Dion Waiters, Anthony Bennett, first round pick to Wolves for Kevin Love.
— RealGM (@RealGM) July 11, 2014
Oh. It seems the Cavaliers are going the other way, getting cockier.
Dion Waiters, Anthony Bennett and a first-round pick aren’t enough for Love. Likely, the Cavaliers will have to include Andrew Wiggins to make a trade work.
Love is definitely better than Wiggins right now, but Wiggins has a bright future. I think I’d deal Wiggins for Love, but it’s not an easy call.
His level of commitment would be a key factor. Love opting into the final season of his contract is a likely part of the trade, but he’d sacrifice a lot of money by signing an extension. Beyond 2015-16, Love will likely offer only his word on staying in Cleveland.
Is that enough for the Cavaliers? With LeBron, they should be confident they can convince him to stay.