Report: Cavs could have difficult time trading Kevin Love

The Cleveland Cavaliers are open to trading just about anyone on their roster, and Kevin Love is the player that should interest contending teams the most. If the Cavs don’t lower their asking price, however, a deal involving Love may not happen.

The Cavs could have a difficult time trading Love because of both his contract and what the team wants in return for him, Jason Lloyd of The Athletic reports. Cleveland is reportedly seeking a first-round pick in any trade for Love, but interested teams may actually want the Cavs to include a first-round pick in the deal to entice the acquiring team to absorb the 3 1/2 years and more than $90 million remaining on Love’s contract.

One executive told Lloyd that he believes the Cavs will eventually get a first-round pick for Love as long as they are willing to take back a significant amount of salary. Cleveland would have to get creative if they go that route, as they have no salary cap space and do not want to dip into the luxury tax again.

Teams can’t even begin trading players until Dec. 15, and the deadline is Feb. 6. That means there is plenty of time to work out a deal for Love, and the asking price could come down significantly as the deadline nears. Keeping Love on the roster makes little sense for Cleveland in their current rebuilding phase.

Love reportedly has his sights set on being traded to one team, but a number of contenders are expected to discuss a potential deal with the Cavs.