So much for that inside-out combo with Drummond, huh? Going into this season, it was hard to predict that the jerseys would only be the second-ugliest thing about the Cavs. And now, in retrospect, those don’t look half bad.
Because, for whatever reason, the Cavaliers are paying a king’s ransom for Kevin Love and Andre Drummond, and are sprinting down (up?) to the top of the lottery.
Now, there are some bright spots in the darkness. Jarrett Allen is probably the most underrated pure big in the league, Larry Nance, Jr. is still bouncy, and Collin Sexton is a budding star on a rookie-scale contract.
However, Dan Gilbert’s Cavs are still somehow holding on to the idea that they can make the playoffs this season. Or, at least, that’s what it looks like with Drummond and Love still manning the trenches in Cleveland.
They have young talent. They (most likely) own a top five pick this year. And they have got to commit to rebuilding.
So, before this year’s trade deadline hits, the Cavs need to make moves, both to salvage any value for Andre Drummond, and to get out from under Kevin Love’s bloated contract. Let’s look at what they can do. These are the two best trades Cleveland can make before the trade deadline.
Trade 1:
Cleveland Cavaliers receive: Kevin Knox, Frank Ntilikina
New York Knicks receive: Andre Drummond, Darius Garland
In a vacuum, this is, at best, a lateral move for the Cavs. However, think about this: Kevin Knox, a lottery pick from only a few years ago, is still just 21 years old, and it can be presumed that he has a distant ceiling to hit if he so wishes. Frank Ntilikina is an intriguing defensive piece, and while he’s not even in Garland’s stratosphere as a scorer or ball-handler, he’s made strides as an off-ball shooter, and Sexton has already budded into a primary playmaker.
The Knicks, who are well in the midst of the playoff hunt, are still well under the cap, so they can afford this as a win-now gamble to at least scare the rest of the East. As good as Randle is, they need a big body to compete with Philly, Milwaukee, Miami, and even Brooklyn now, and Drummond gives them exactly that. Garland gives them a primary scorer for the future and a great 2 to Barrett’s 1/3. And if the Drummond experiment fails, they still have their cap next year to spend.
And let’s not pretend the Knicks believe in Kevin Knox anymore. It’s Toppin time in the Garden now. This could be a good move for the Cavs.
Trade 2:
Cleveland Cavaliers receive: Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole
Golden State Warriors receive: Kevin Love
Another seemingly lateral move, at least Wiggins gives the Cavaliers some added juice and athleticism on the perimeter. In this trade, they are praying to the basketball gods that Wiggins took some advice from Steph and Draymond to mature mentally into at least 80% of the superstar he was projected to be as a number one draft pick.
And if nothing else, a starting five for the Cavs of Sexton, Garland, Wiggins, Nance, and Jarrett Allen would be absolute fireworks to watch every night. That team is athleticism and pace personified.
The Warriors would be willing to play ball in this case as well. Kevin Love, to those that forget, was a possible trade chip for Klay Thompson back in the day, and he has still retained the skills he had back then. He can still shoot very well, footwork never goes away, and his outlet passes are still incredible to behold. He would also be a great teacher to James Wiseman for refining the youngster’s game.
Next year, when/if Klay comes back, Andrew Wiggins would be redundant and borderline useless as a more demanding version of Harrison Barnes. Replace him with Love, and you have a potential lineup of Steph/Klay/Green/Love/Wiseman, with Oubre as the first man off the bench. That lineup should absolutely scare you, and if it doesn’t, at least the Cavs get a pick out of the deal.
Throw in Poole as an energy guy/pot sweetener, and you’ve got as good a win as the Cavs can reasonably get off of Love’s oversized contract.
