King James Gospel
Fansided

Kevin Love’s extension could make Cavs the loyal franchise

By Doug Patrick

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 09: Kevin Love
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 09: Kevin Love /
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SAN ANTONIO, TX – JANUARY 23: Isaiah Thomas #3 of the Cleveland Cavaliers signs autographs for fans before the game against the San Antonio Spurs on January 23, 2018 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Darren Carroll/NBAE via Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO, TX – JANUARY 23: Isaiah Thomas #3 of the Cleveland Cavaliers signs autographs for fans before the game against the San Antonio Spurs on January 23, 2018 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Darren Carroll/NBAE via Getty Images) /

There’s nothing wrong with what Boston and Toronto did

None of this is to say that there is anything wrong with how Boston and Toronto handled their business. All of this is just that: business.

These teams viewed their players as assets and maximized their value to get better assets in return. To their credit, it worked. The Celtics got the better end of the deal in Irving, and the Raptors undoubtedly got the more talented player in Leonard.

But this may lose them the trust of players around the league who sympathize with DeRozan and Thomas’s pain.

In the coming years, we will see if this intense asset-izing of players will make teams untrustworthy to free agents.

The Love deal could be the Cavs’ first step in testing if the opposite is true: if showing loyalty to your best players makes you a more attractive destination.