The Cleveland Cavaliers have nothing much to aim for, owning one of the NBA's worst records at 13-37. Hence, keeping high-salaried players like Kevin Love or even Tristan Thompson may not make much sense. Critics feel that both NBA veterans will be on their way out, something that is hardly surprising.
According to Cleveland.com, this is what most Cavs players feel that the top management intends to do soon. And with the NBA trade deadline happening on Feb. 6, Love and Thompson could be part of new teams. The only question now is which team will take them in.
There are certain things to consider. In the case of Love, it is his four-year $120 million that is making him hard to move. The 31-year-old NBA All-Star is just in his first year and has three years remaining from that deal he got last year, ESPN reported.
Several teams have been linked to the one-time NBA champion. The Portland Trail Blazers have been occasionally mentioned as well as the Miami Heat. As of this writing, nothing has gone down.
The case of Tristan Thompson is a bit different. He is in the final year of his five-year deal with the Cavs with the 28-year-old big man. Set to take home $18 million this year, the Canadian is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent this summer. Teams who would take him in could end up getting him on a short-term lease.
Of the two, it is Love who could provide a big boost. In 43 games, the five-time All-Star is averaging 17.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. Thompson, on the other hand, is putting up 11.9 points,10.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in48 games for the Cavs per Basketball-Reference.com.
From their performance in the 2019-20 NBA season alone, there is no doubt both could be a big addition to any playoff-bound NBA team. However, there is the gamble on commitment - especially on the part of Thompson. He is likely to want a max deal by the offseason, and several teams are expected to pitch for his services.
For Love, his contract would depend on an interested team's budget. Trades could offset that, but it would take a huge haul to make it happen. The Heat does have players with big salaries to spare if the Cavs are willing.
The Blazers could dangle Hassan Whiteside and/or Maurice Harkless. Love's case is all about the numbers crunch, making him the harder cager to deal off compared to Thompson.
