We knew the Cleveland Cavaliers were shopping Collin Sexton this offseason, but Kevin Love’s name has seemingly now been added to the trade block for what feels like the 500th time since being dealt to the Land in 2014. With the Boston Celtics acquiring two big men in Al Horford and Moses Brown from the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Kemba Walker last month, landing Love seems superfluous given the center depth.
Then again, it’s never a bad idea to consider adding a former NBA Champion that has proven capable of thriving alongside other stars. Obviously, the personnel in Cleveland hasn’t qualified since LeBron James skipped town in 2018.
But the Jays do. Jayson Tatum, his Team USA teammate for the short time Love was on the 2020 team, and Jaylen Brown would benefit from the attention Love would get in the post, and would have a capable catch-and-shoot threat to pass out of double-teams to.
Both were 20+ point-per-game scorers during each of the last two seasons and All-Stars in 2021. Love could be the third wheel needed to finally earn an NBA Finals berth if he could return to his pre-2020-21 form.
Acquiring Love at this point in the game would probably cost less for the Cs than any other point in Love’s career, considering the possible value loss from his failed Team USA stint and career-worst season in 2020-21.
So Hardwood Houdini gave it a stab and came up with two trades that would bring Love (and more) to the Boston Celtics during the 2021 offseason: