Last summer was one of the biggest trade seasons on record. Heck, even players that weren’t likely trade targets or free agents still managed to switch teams and in the process cause a seismic shift in the NBA landscape. Certain teams that were championship contenders not so long ago now barely even resemble themselves.
The Warriors, for instance, have gone from being one of the most unstoppable assemblages of talent to the bottom rung of the Western Conference. Their former arch-nemeses over in Cleveland can certainly commiserate. Since LeBron left for Los Angeles, it’s been a sharp decline.
Yet, one remnant of those days still somewhat inexplicably remains. In the summer of 2018, instead of jumping ship along with LeBron, Kevin Love signed a massive four-year deal worth $120 million. Since then, he’s remained loyal to the organization, arguably to a fault, despite persistent trade rumors and the widespread belief that he’d be better off chasing a championship elsewhere.
Now, however, it appears the Cavs warming up to the idea of moving on. Via Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
As Woj points out, numerous teams have expressed interest in Love in the past, namely the Celtics, the Blazers, and the Nuggets. Portland, in particular has long coveted Love, who is an Oregon native, as has Boston, though the latter has brushed away rumors that Marcus Smart and/or Gordon Hayward could be available for the right deal.
With Dec. 15 right around the corner and the February trade deadline on the heels of that, the talk will only continue to ramp up until we get something definitive one way or the other.
