The real reason the Cavs won’t trade Kevin Love

The real reason the Cleveland Cavaliers won’t trade Kevin Love is simply because, right now, they can’t.

While there are many who believe that Kevin Love is “here to stay” in The Land, the real reason the Cleveland Cavaliers haven’t traded the best stretch big in the NBA isn’t because he’s “untouchable”, it’s because he’s not valued outside of the organization in the same way he’s valued inside of it.

According to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, “Love does not have much standalone trade value”.

It wasn’t too long ago that Love was considered the best power forward in the NBA. He was an elite shooter, scorer and rebounder whose passing ability allowed him to be the fulcrum of the Minnesota Timberwolves offense.

Before his trade to the Cavs, Love averaged 19.2 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game while shooting 45.1 percent from the field and 36.2 percent from three-point range in six seasons. The season prior to his trade to the Cavs, Love averaged 26.1 points, 12.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game while shooting 45.7 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from three-point range.

Since being traded to the Cavs, Love has averaged 17.0 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 42.6 percent from the field and 36.6 percent from three-point range. Last season, which most of the league’s avid fans would consider to be Love’s best season playing beside LeBron James and Kyrie Irving in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Big Three, Love averaged 19.0 points, 11.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game while shooting 42.7 percent from the field and 37.3 percent from three-point range.

Though there’s a slight dip in Love’s averages, the problem isn’t in the volume of his stats, it’s in his efficiency. To be more specific, it’s about his issues scoring inside and the perception that he’s little more than a glorified stretch four. To be fair, Love is a stretch four. From the power forward position, he spaces the floor for James and others to attack because his three-point prowess causes defenders to gravitate towards him out on the perimeter. That’s the definition of a stretch big.

However, Love is much more than that.

Where before his burly body would allow him to bang around for points on the inside, he has a nice little jump hook he likes to get off as much as he likes to use his svelte frame to take opponents off-the-dribble. His rebounding isn’t just something that allows the Cavs to close out defensive possessions and get second-chance points, it’s an integral part of the Cleveland Cavaliers success because the “battle of the boards” is one of the biggest factors in determining whether a team will win or lose a game (along with turnovers). His passing ability isn’t utilized as much in Cleveland as it was in Minnesota but his ability to launch fullcourt passes with pinpoint accuracy allows the Cavs to be a dangerous team in the open court despite the fact they only have one player, James, who you’ll find running the court full-pelt for transition lobs.

Nonetheless, there’s something about Love that just doesn’t fit with the Cleveland Cavaliers. His defense. Namely, his inability to look natural and comfortable guarding perimeter players in space, his lackluster pick-and-roll defense and his ability to protect the rim. His perimeter and pick-and-roll defense is due to a lack of lateral agility while his inability to protect the rim is affected by his lack of vertical explosion.

Love’s diet and workout regimen have allowed him to slim down and enhance his quickness. Nonetheless, he’s still not the ideal big when it comes to his defensive presence. His high basketball IQ allows him to jump passing lanes for deflections and jump driving lanes to draw a charge. However, against teams like the Golden State Warriors, Love is often seen as an ill-fit for the Cavs.

As a result, the Cavs explored trading Love for forwards like Carmelo Anthony and Paul George.

George is obviously the better athlete and defender but both, while being the types of players that you’d hate to have across from you in an isolation situation, knowing that they’re naturally gifted scorers, are perimeter players. With Anthony, a lot of his perception is caught up in the drama surrounding the New York Knicks and the lack of effort he puts forth in games but he’s a better defender than many will give him credit for. Last season, he was in the 87th percentile as an iso defender (meaning only 13 percent of the league have done better when guarding players in isolation).

It makes sense why the Cavs would want to trade Love. Quite frankly, he’s one of the very few players who are elite three-point shooters and rebounders. However, he’s not a perfect fit. He’s more like a rectangular puzzle piece the Cavs have tried to fit into a square.

Close but no cigar.

The problem is that while the Cavs know that they have an All-Star talent in Love, a player who is young enough to give another team a full contract’s worth of stellar performances, other teams have seen how Love has hampered the Cavs’ ability to be successful and bought into Cleveland narrative about how Love has declined as a player.

Do you think the Cavs wouldn’t flip Love for five seasons of DeMarcus Cousins? A player who is a superior athlete and has the tools to be an impact defender.

No, the problem with the Cavs is that Love wouldn’t net a player of Cousins’ problem by himself because they would if they could.

Unfortunately, the Cavs would have to use the first-round pick from the Brooklyn Nets to sweeten a deal and that would just be giving up too much. If you trade Love for Cousins (who re-signs) and use the Nets’ pick to select a top-five player in the 2018 NBA Draft, the Cavs have – at the least – a new dynamic duo and – at best- the makings of a Big Four (if James and Isaiah Thomas re-sign).

If you trade Love and the draft pick for one player, the Cavs have – at the worst – one player to build around who likely doesn’t want to play for a rebuilding organization and – at best – a Big Three (if James and Thomas re-sign).

With the uncertainty surrounding James and Thomas’ future, the first option is the most ideal route.

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If Love excels in Thomas’ absence, he’ll raise his trade value. When Love’s value is at its highest and other, more fitting players, become available, that’s the most rationale time for the Cleveland Cavaliers make a trade.

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