Cavs: Why Kevin Love will likely be traded in the offseason

Love’s age doesn’t fit the timeline

Keeping Love also doesn’t seem feasible because assuming the Cavs have some lottery luck and hit on some of their other picks, by the time they are in a position where they can be good again in four or so years, Love will be 34-35 years old and likely past his prime.

Why waste what is left of his prime years when you’re in a complete rebuild, when you can get some assets for him?

On February 11, Brian Windhorst of ESPN was on ESPN Cleveland’s “The Really Big Show,” and gave his take on the Kevin Love situation (h/t Aaron Goldhammer, one of the hosts).

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If the Cavs are going to trade Love, as Windhorst believes they will, it makes all the sense in the world to try and play him big minutes with 23 games left in the season.

If the Cavs tried to trade Love during the past trade deadline, it would likely be difficult with all the games he has missed this year and in previous years.

If the Cleveland Cavaliers were going to keep Love, it would make more sense to shut him down the rest of the season so you don’t risk him having another major injury where he could get behind, missing training camp and potentially preseason games, where it hurts the team.

Considering the lottery rules are different this year and the three teams with the three worst records get an even 14.0 percent chance at the first pick (per Tankathon), being the worst team doesn’t give you the clear advantage it used to.

Tons of fans may want to sit Kevin Love for tanking purposes, but it really won’t matter with 23 games left.