The Cleveland Cavaliers have been very aggressive in acquiring players under the helm of LeBron James. After acquiring sharpshooter Mike Miller, the Cavs are now eyeing on Kevin Love of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Apparently, the Cavs are willing to go as far as trading their latest No. 1 overall draft pick, Andrew Wiggins, for Love.
In a report by Yahoo! Sports, Kevin Love expressed that although long term contracts are not his preference, he is willing to stay in Cleveland for several years, provided that he will be playing alongside James. However, LeBron only signed a two-year deal with the Cavaliers with a player option in the second year. Love's deal with the Wolves will expire after the 2014-2015 season. The Cavs need some assurance that they will hold on to Love for more than a year. They also need to try to form a solid team around James to make sure that their superstar will not be seeking greener pastures elsewhere.
Initially, the Cavs tried as much to exclude Wiggins in any deal that would bring in Love to maintain their ideal lineup. However, the Golden State Warriors have been providing very good offers to the Wolves which may have spurred the Cavs to sacrifice their promising swingman for the more established Kevin Love. If a deal would include Klay Thompson of the Warriors, Minnesota might be willing to let go of their All-Star.
Cleveland seems to be going all out in an attempt to bring home its very first NBA championship trophy. According to CBS Sports, the Cavs are taking a lot of risks by signing LeBron in a short-term deal, attempting to sign Love whose contract will largely depend on LeBron's existence, as well as letting go of undiscovered raw talent in Wiggins. Should the Cavs end up on top at the end of the 2014-2015 season, it may not be holding on to success for very long. James is actively participating in the trade decisions of the team but also advised that it may take longer than a year to bring out their full potential.
In a report by USA Today, Wiggins averaged 13.7 points, 1.7 blocks and 1.7 steals per game in the summer league. He expressed that he would complement James well and looked forward to playing under his guidance. If Love does not transfer to Cleveland, Wiggins will be busier on the paint.
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
