2. Kevin Love
Whether or not Kevin Love will be traded is seemingly up to him, considering that the Cleveland Cavaliers are allowing him to decide if he wants to be around for the rebuild. However, whether or not he wants to stick around for the post-LeBron Era is unclear.
On the one hand, approaching 30-years-old, Love may just want to chase championships. On top of that, his lone Finals run that resulted in a championship wasn’t one of his best stretch of games, so there may be a redemption factor.
On the other hand, Love will be the first option on a team for the first season since 2013-2014, when he averaged 26.1 points, 12.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. Furthermore, without LeBron James and the pressure of winning championships, there may be less drama and chaos; he may not find himself being set-up as a scapegoat anymore.
More from Cavs News
- 3 possible starting lineups for Cleveland Cavaliers in 2023-24
- 4 players the Cavaliers should pursue in 2024 free agency
- NBA Expert says Cavaliers backcourt just won’t work
- When does NBA Training Camp start? When do Cavaliers start?
- Prominent NBA agent says LeBron had a harder path than Jordan
Lastly, the Cavs have added his best friend in Channing Frye to the roster.
The combination of those factors could be enough to convince Love to stick with the team for the remainder of the season. Despite not being considered championship-contenders, next season could be the most peaceful and enjoyable one for Love in his Cavs tenure.
However, if Love’s trade value gets high enough with him thriving as the first option, the Cavs could choose to trade him regardless of his desire to stay.
As we all know, it’s a business and team’s are in the business of winning, not unconditional loyalty.
The biggest obstacle for Love being traded is the same as J.R. Smith, George Hill and Tristan Thompson. The size of his contract ($49.7 million over the next two seasons with a player option in 2019-2020).