Report: Cavs more likely to trade Kevin Love after season

With the Feb. 18 NBA trade deadline quickly approaching, speculation continues to grow that the Cleveland Cavaliers are exploring trade possibilities for Kevin Love. How likely is it that they pull the trigger?

ESPN’s Marc Stein and Brian Windhorst are reporting that the Cavs have told interested teams that they want a star player in return as part of any potential deal involving Love. Teams like the Boston Celtics are more likely to offer a package of draft picks and role players, and it seems unlikely that any team would bother swapping “star” players.

Because of Cleveland’s lofty demands, Love probably isn’t going anywhere in the near future. More from ESPN:

Despite his past and recent shoulder woes, Love holds extensive value not only because of his history of production but also because he still has three guaranteed seasons left on his current contract. But some rival executives increasingly believe that given the Cavs’ expectations in such a trade and the complexity of moving a star in midseason, it’s more likely that Cleveland seriously considers Love pitches in June or July, after it sees how the postseason plays out as well as what new coach Tyronn Lue gets out of the former All-Star in the playoffs.

The Cavs have strongly denied reports that they are shopping Love, and we already knew that the price tag could be unreasonably high even if they are.

What happened to that meeting the Cavs players supposedly had after David Blatt was fired? Based on what we heard about that, Love shouldn’t be going anywhere.