The Cleveland Cavaliers are still interested in acquiring Kevin Love from the Minnesota Timberwolves, and they may be willing to pay a steep price for the star forward. According to Bob Finnan of The News-Herald, the Cavs are now open to including No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins in a potential trade for Love.
Finnan also reports that LeBron James wants Love on the Cavs roster, which could ultimately be the reason a deal gets done.
The Cavs were originally trying to finagle a trade with Minnesota that would allow them to hold onto Wiggins, but it quickly became clear that the Timberwolves have no interest in working out a deal with Cleveland if the former Kansas star is not involved. Given how many teams have expressed interest in Love, that is not a surprise.
Wiggins has already drawn comparisons to Kobe Bryant, despite never having appeared in an NBA game. The 19-year-old has tremendous potential and has looked pretty sharp in summer league games, averaging 13.7 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. That said, Love has already proven that he can dominate at the NBA level.
LeBron will turn 30 next season. If the Cavs hang onto Wiggins and allow him to grow alongside LeBron and Kyrie Irving, there’s a chance he could become one of the better players in the league. However, the thinking with acquiring Love is that the Cavs will be a better team in the short term and may not need as much time to be championship ready.
Personally, I don’t think the Cavs can lose whichever way they go. They might end up kicking themselves five years down the road if they trade Wiggins, but the hope would be that they have a championship or two to help soften the blow.
