The Cleveland Cavaliers now appear willing to trade No. 1 overall draft pick Andrew Wiggins to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a deal for Kevin Love, according to Bob Finnan of The Morning Journal & The News-Herald and USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt. Ever since LeBron James announced his return to the Cavaliers, Cleveland has been mentioned as a landing spot for Love. James, according to Finnan, wants to play with Love, and if it takes Wiggins to get Love that's what will happen.
Cavaliers reportedly willing to trade Andrew Wiggins for Kevin Love
The Cavaliers have reportedly relented and are now open to trading the No. 1 pick for the Timberwolves’ star forward.
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
A potential deal might include Wiggins, 2013 No. 1 overall pick Anthony Bennett and a first-round pick, according to Finnan, though other pieces would likely need to be involved to make the salaries work.
Why this makes sense
Trading for Love is a win-now move, and LeBron returned to Cleveland so he could bring a championship to his hometown. He signed only a two-year deal to keep his options open, but if LeBron and Kyrie Irving are joined by Kevin Love, the trio would be a powerful force in the Eastern Conference. And if Love signs an extension with Cleveland, this trade would also be in the team's long-term interest of staying atop the East.
Wiggins, though the No. 1 pick, is no sure thing and could take several years to reach his potential. By trading Wiggins now and acquiring Love, the Cavaliers would be sacrificing some youth, but Love will be 26 years old at the start of the coming season.
Why this doesn’t make sense
Do the Cavaliers really want to trade away a potential superstar whose contract gives the team payroll flexibility for several years? By playing with LeBron, Wiggins likely has his best chance to develop his game to his highest potential. Wiggins, then, could become the franchise’s foundation if LeBron decides to move on from Cleveland.
Likelihood
The chance of Love moving to the Cavaliers seemed unlikely when Cleveland wasn’t open to dealing Wiggins, but now those chances have improved. LeBron wouldn’t have returned to the Cavs unless he had talked with owner Dan Gilbert about how to shape the roster, and acquiring Kevin Love had to have been at the top of the list. Both want to bring a championship to Cleveland. Bringing in Love is perhaps their best chance at doing it soon. Likelihood of a deal happening: 7 out of 10.
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