Waiting For This Year: Kevin Love Trade Is Now Official
2014-08-23
It seemed like so much longer than just 30 days, but August 23, 2014 did eventually come and, with it, the deal that delivers Kevin Love to the Cleveland Cavaliers became official.
Now, even though everyone has been talking about this trade for weeks like it had already occurred, this trade has now occurred. The Cavaliers get the 6-10, 260 pound, three-time all star, sending the Minnesota Timberwolves the spoils of their last two years of lottery luck in Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett. The Philadelphia 76ers steps in to facilitate the trade/the continued gutting of their roster sending Thaddeus Young to the Wolves and getting back guard Alexey Shved and forward Luc Mbah a Moute from Minnesota and the Miami Heat’s 2015 first round pick from Cleveland.
Wiggins is only the second number one pick in NBA history to be traded before playing his first professional game. He joins Chris Webber who was traded from the Magic to Golden State on a draft day trade in 1993. Wiggins’s post-draft summer was a little less comfortable than Webber’s, though, as he had to deal with trade rumors basically from the moment LeBron James re-signed with the team in mid-July.
Love is coming off a season where he averaged 26.1 points and 12.5 rebounds a game and his ability to stretch the floor (37.6% shooting from three) makes him the perfect compliment to James.
Because the trade has been a veritable lock for several weeks now, you know what most everyone here at Cavs: The Blog thinks, hopes, eats, prays and loves about Love. But now, at least, we can talk about an Irving-Love-James core (even thinking “Big Three” makes me throw up a little in my mouth) as a real, actual thing and look forward to watching arguably the most talented team in Cavaliers history.
You can read the team’s official release here.
Nice article. Just wanted to point out that Kevin Love is nowhere near 6″10 though. He’s actually about 6″8 without shoes on and 6’9 and half with shoes on according to draftexpress.com Players overestimated their height is a pet peeve of mine.
I realize what Windy’s article says, but there remains the basic fact that the Cavs really didn’t/won’t have cap space available in 2015 to sign Love outright. Furthermore, what happens if another darkhorse came out of the woodwork offering a big time player for Love? Something akin to Beal from the Wizards, Klay from the Warriors, and the Suns (who tried!). All this could’ve happened, while Wiggins could’ve struggled mightily in year one. So the Cavs were looking at potentially having to clear cap space by trading away similarly priced players, potentially risking losing Love to a competitor, AND wasting… Read more »
Windy’s report basically says the Cavs panicked when Lebron signed the 1 and 1 instead of a 3-4-5 year. That’s some serious stupidity if that’s the case. I don’t believe it mainly because I’d lose all faith in the organization if that were the case.
And to Kevin, Kevin Love is amazing, its the way the trade worked out. I’m starting to come around mainly because it’s too late but I can understand other fans being upset.
I have not read the report, but my guess is that Windy is clueless. There is no reason to panic about the 1 and 1. If they had, there was plenty of time to calm down and rethink, particularly if they were talking to LeBron. Is Windy better than a blind chipmunk that stumbles onto an acorn once in a while? Anyone have any stats or guesses on how often he turns out to know something, as opposed to yammering and guessing? He is an “official, full time, LeBron reporter”. And, LeBron will not talk to him. Wonder why, besides… Read more »
“I don’t believe it mainly because I’d lose all faith in the organization if that were the case”
Do you see no flaws in this logic? And this organization hasn’t exactly been a bastion of great thinking. From their pampering to Lebron the first time around (and my how quickly did Gilbert back off that idea of never letting one player have so much control) to player acquisitions and drafting.
Cavs did panic , If LBJ would’ve singed four or five year deal then Cavs could sit back and waited for next year to sign Love or a couple of great players add that to the KI, DV,AW,TT, AV and list goes on and on and Cavs would be set for the next 10 years. By signing 2 year deal LBJ gives himself away out and also gives NBA away out so they can get their big market teams back on winning it all year after year, it’s politics ladies and gents , after all NBA is a corporation too… Read more »
I was also on the “sit back and wait” theory, but it is not obvious if it would have worked for lots of reasons. I seriously doubt if LeBron will leave again under any situation. It might be true that his “letter” would not have happened if things were not going down the sh*thole in Miami, but he clearly wanted to get out of the “bad guy” role. Staying in Cleveland and winning will make him bigger than ever globally. If he leaves a second time, that will cement his worldwide image as Dr. Evil. He will also be getting… Read more »
Tony has a few more tin foil hats than I do, but how sure are we that Lebron will never leave again? What if we get a near worst case scenario with injuries or in not finding a solution to the current roster’s possible issues on the defensive end of the court? Say we don’t win in the next two years, and maybe even a healthy Rose and the Bulls keep us out from making it out of the East? I’m not saying these are likely, but they aren’t crazy scenarios. If that happens, aren’t we a bit nervous about… Read more »
LeBron has regularly been making public statements since his return that he is not leaving ever again. Obviously he can change his mind, but the way in which he has publicly doubled-down on his return home would make it very difficult. The latest example was this tweet/instagram he posted himself on Saturday after Love signing. Note that it reads”Cavs forever.”
http://instagram.com/p/sDUhEkiTJM/
That picture makes me think of the guy who gets his girlfriend’s name tattooed on his arm two weeks after they start dating.
That’s kinda what it says/implies, however, it all happened in one weekend, Lebron announces his decision officially to come back and they get the contract together before he heads to Brazil…sure, Windy implies to an extent that James wanted to play with him as soon as possible, but the other part is that until then, they weren’t sure they were getting Lebron. If Lebron doesn’t come, it’s colossally stupid to trade Wiggins, because there’s significantly more risk that he doesn’t resign. Once Lebron is on board, it’s much more of a toss up. And in the end, most trades are… Read more »
I don’t believe this logic at all. I’m a risk manager by trade, and it is built into my DNA to see the dark side of any situation (you may have noted my responses to Cols unbridled optimism over the summer). And knowing that about me, I can say this with complete confidence: I have no concerns whatsoever about Lebron leaving after two years. Why? THE LETTER. The letter unequivocably makes the case that he wants to be home, and that his decision is bigger than basketball. If Lebron really wanted to just give it a two year shake, the… Read more »
Yep. There’s no chance at all that either Love or Lebron leave over the next few years. No chance. Zero. Zilch.
I’m happy. It will be an amazing year. A championship should be around the corner. As long as we keep signing legitimate players for the league minimum and stay injury free all will be well.
Is it ok to say the Wolves are my second favorite team?
I live in the Twin Cities, so I’ll be in the unique situation of rooting for the Cavs, and also be able to watch Wiggins grow up. I’ll keep the CtB faithful posted on the local flavor on Wiggins & Bennett. On that note….is it just me, or should Flip Saunders be nominated for sainthood for what he was able to wangle for a disgruntled star with one foot out the door? Given the assorted flotsam that teams received for the likes of Dwight Howard, Deron Williams, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul, Flip got a relative ransom in the same… Read more »
You’ll have to keep us posted on the Wolves. I’m looking forward to hearing from you.
Totally with you. I will join the Wolves fan club. I think there is a good chance Bennett will also become a star, and that will be a great story.
Has anyone seen the outrage on the cleveland.com and Cavs.com forums? I’m convinced this city has the dumbest fans outside of Oakland, Calif. Kevin Love will be amazing on this team. Don’t watch? Fine, more for me and everyone else with a brain.
Has it been reported yet as to why he’s choosing to wear the number zero? Is he a tennis fan or something?
Cavalier all-timer Nate Thurmond had his (and Love’s) #42 retired for 114 games off the bench.
Speaking of all-timers. Is Lebron back to being the #1 Cavalier? How long before Love is #2?
Lebron was the actual most significant player in Cavs history before he returned. I get why Cavs Rank went with price, but let’s be realistic.
disagree. For all the reason articulated in march. None of them changed or were imagined. But now he is the top player
Rodney – If Lebron fell so far on some people’s ballots because his ripping our hearts out that one time trumped everything else so much, how has he earned the top spot back already? His coming back doesn’t take away the pain that we felt and the four years we spent in the wilderness.
Windhorst’s story on the trade was interesting. He suggested that the Cavs wanted to get Love BEFORE the draft in order to lure LBJ, but that once they drafted Wiggins and got LBJ without Love, their initial plan was to try to keep Wiggins and try for Love next year. But apparently LBJ wanted Love now. Who knows what is true, but this version of events supports some of the people here who have been more skeptical of whether we needed to give up Wiggins – i.e. it suggests that even the Cavs themselves initially thought it made sense to… Read more »
I was in the “Keep Wiggins and still get Love” group. It sure would have been nice, but who knows if that was possible. My opinion was a gut feeling of what might fly. I have no doubt that James and Griffin know a lot more about this stuff than I do, so I am not complaining about the decisions they made. No one can predict how these things will turn out, but I am optimistic. I think Cleveland’s position now is a lot better than Miami’s was four years ago, other than LeBron being four years older. I think… Read more »
Yeah, Windy has been out of the loop for months.
Does anybody know by which of the “three ways” Kevin Love was acquired?
How about “guardians of the galaxy”
With Waiters emergence they’ll be the Four Horsemen.
I can’t believe COLS hasn’t posted a comment yet
Remember when Larry Hughes was brought in to be the “second star” to take the pressure off Lebron? When it wasn’t really if, but when Lebron and co. bring home a title after a weak team completed an easter conference championship campaign in 2007? To quote Elle Woods…”This is so much better than that!!”
If I ever refer to any trio on the Cavs as a “big 3” just put me down.
Yeah “big 3” is just so boring too. We need a new term.