The Cleveland Cavaliers may or may not be a fringe playoff team, and if they’re on their way out, expect some player movement. But, who would go first?
Following LeBron James‘ departure, the Cleveland Cavaliers made it known a few months later that they would continue to strive for the postseason.
They made this further known when they extended Kevin Love for four seasons, locking him in for the next five years. Love took just less than the max and is under contract till he’s 34.
While his extension does make Love a more appealing trade target, I purposefully kept him off that list in hope that the Cleveland Cavaliers are different than other ‘loyal’ franchises.
The Cavs should look to avoid player disloyalty like the Raptors and Clippers were both accused of after trading star players that gave their all to that franchise. Players and fans eventually do get over the immediate sting, but this extension feels a bit different than either DeRozan’s or Griffin’s.
While the love for Love is exciting, it seems to be unique as Cleveland traded several beloved pieces last season. Players like Iman Shumpert and Derrick Rose were shipped out in hopes that their return would bring Cleveland closer to that coveted championship.
Well, bad news, it didn’t. Cleveland was swept in the 2018 NBA Finals. Cleveland didn’t really close the gap between them and Golden State at all.
This season they’re in a different dilemma. Their goal is the postseason, and if they’re not close to that mark come February, they should blow it up, retain their 2019 first-round pick and play for next season.
With that said, who is the most likely Cavalier to be traded?