Trade Deadline: Kevin Love Unlikely To Be Traded To Boston
By Liam O'Brien
Remember the craze of the summer of 2014, when almost everyone patrolling the streets of Boston sporting Celtic green had the hunch that current Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love would be coming to the rebuilding Boston Celtics in a trade?
Well, things are must different now, with the Brad Stevens-led Celtics laying claim to the Eastern Conference’s third-best record at the All-Star break and Love assuming the role of third-fiddle on his squad, contrary to the 26.1 points and 12.5 rebounds he averaged per game with the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2013-14 season.
However, one constant has remained the same: Love is still unlikely to be joining Boston anytime soon.
Although Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reported prior to the weekend that a three-team trade which would potentially send the seven-year veteran Love to the Celtics while transporting New York Knicks star small forward Carmelo Anthony to Cleveland had been discussed, the deal has since been denounced by multiple parties.
According to league sources close to Celtics general manager Danny Ainge, Boston has only undergone preliminary discussions with Cavaliers general manager David Griffin concerning the possibility of a three-team trade.
None of the specifics, such as which draft picks the selection-rich Celtics would be forced to relinquish, have been reported or even discussed in some instances, and Ainge remains extremely tentative to put Boston’s future on the line for a player such as Love, who has seen his points per game average dwindle to 15.7 in 2015-16, his lowest since a 2009-10 season in which he started just 22 games for Minnesota.
Furthermore, crucial, weight-carrying players on both Cleveland and New York are adamant about the notion that this trade will not occur.
Cavaliers small forward LeBron James denied the potential of his team losing Love while answering questions at All-Star Weekend, stating that the rumors were “false.”
When asked his thoughts about possibly being shipped to Cleveland, Anthony dismissed the question, telling the Boston Herald, “it sucks. I’m tired of these rumors — I’m tired of it, man…I don’t know where that rumor came from. I don’t talk to [the Knicks] about that.”
Even if the rumors turned out to be accurate, while stockpiling draft picks is certainly an intriguing option for New York, this blockbuster deal makes little sense for either Boston or Cleveland.
In the process of his ball-controlling opportunities being sliced away at by the presence of James and point guard Kyrie Irving and his chances to post up in the paint being lessened by the play of big men Timofey Mozgov, Tristan Thompson, and Anderson Varejao, Love has been relegated to the role of a spot up three-point shooter who possesses the capability to bang on the boards.
Currently, nearly half of Love’s field goal attempts per game are three-pointers (5.6 threes attempted per game out of 12.7 shots). Although the Celtics could certainly use a knockdown outside shooter, Love shoots at just a 37% clip from beyond the arc, good for just 48th in the NBA.
Why commit yourself to a five-year, $113 million contract with a player who is becoming increasingly apprehensive in creating his own shot, an attribute Boston needs to supplant the likes of offensive playmakers Isaiah Thomas and Evan Turner?
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This deal would also cause fits in Cleveland as well. Featuring two dominant ball-handlers in James and Irving, Anthony would be subjected to assume a similar role as Love in the Cavaliers run-and-gun offense, something which would not be easy for the nine-time All-Star to stomach.