5 trades the Cavs can make for Jimmy Butler

Trade scenario #2

Cavs receive: Jimmy Butler, Gorgui Dieng

Timberwolves receive: Kevin Love, George Hill

This trade likely wouldn’t happen until the All-Star break with Kevin Love unable to be traded until January 23rd.

However, this is also exactly the type of trade that happens at the trade deadline; a deal that allows both teams to hit the reset in the middle of a tumultuous season.

That’s not to say there’s a guarantee that neither team is successful without their current leader. Far from it. Love and Butler are two versatile players with nine All-Star selections between them.

Both are capable of scoring at a high clip and being the team’s primary playmaker as well.

Butler is worlds away better on defense, having made a Kawhi Leonard-like jump from a defensive stopper to a two-way Star early in his career, so he’s the better all-around player. However, he wants out of Minnesota and the relationship between he and Karl Anthony-Towns, the face of the franchise, has deteriorated to a point of no return.

Love wants to stay in the Land but if trading him is the key to acquiring Butler and they can avoid including rookie point guard Collin Sexton in the deal, they will. They aren’t mortgaging their future by dealing Love, primarily because of the max players they can sign next summer without his contract on the books.

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The Cavs could damage their locker room chemistry though, depending on how much Butler wants to integrate himself and if he has unfavorable perceptions of their work ethic.

The Timberwolves could use a sharpshooting, savvy and capable defender in their backcourt, so George Hill is a perfect fit and change of pace from a point guard like incumbent starter Derrick Rose.

Swapping Hill, whose contract is only guaranteed for $1 million next season, for Dieng frees up space for Love in the Wolves interior while providing the Cavs with a solid all-around big man for their own frontcourt.

Dieng can stretch the floor out to three-point range but not at nearly the rate or efficiency of Love, so the Cavs effectiveness from three-point range will suffer unless Channing Frye gets put into the rotation.

However, they’ll be far more athletic and capable on the defensive end than before.