As first reported by Jason Dumas, the Brooklyn Nets are interested in trading for JaVale McGee. Not something that really moves the needle. They can more than likely get that done, but more interestingly, they have their eye on Kevin Love, and for good reason. Ever since Love was traded to Cleveland, he has been a consistent 16-19 point per game scorer, not to mention always hovering around 10 rebounds per game. There is a good reason why the Nets would want K-Love, just like other teams would, but I just don’t think that this is possible. I’ve been wrong on stuff like this before, sure. I didn’t even think the Nets could trade for James Harden, but here we are. For the Nets to make a potential trade for Kevin Love a reality, they would have to do something no other team has ever done, and possibly change the way NBA teams assemble teams.
I know that sounds dramatic, right? I mean, teams have been putting rosters together since 1947, how much could it possibly change? If the Nets were able to add another former All-Star to their star studded roster, it would certainly be something we’ve never seen before. So, how can the Nets get it done? They would have to give the Cavs everything. Everything they can possibly give would be needed to get this trade done. We all know how much they gave away to get James Harden with the four first round picks, along with four pick swaps. So to get a trade done with the Cavs, the Nets would have to give up literally everything else they have. Everything. At my best count, that’s about five first round picks, and a first rounder.
Do I think that Kevin Love is worth all of that? Not really. I think this is just a situation where the Cavs have all the leverage they could want. The Nets are the ones who need/want more fire power, so it would only make sense that the Cavs ask for that much. The Nets are in a situation where it is a championship or bust season, and having Kevin Love would certainly increase that chance once he comes back from injury. Let’s say for a second that the Nets aren’t willing to give up that much draft capital to get a trade done. What next?
If I were the Cavs, and I decided to trade away players like Kevin Love and Andre Drummond, it would clearly be for players who could get Cleveland to a playoff level in the next few years. The Cavs have good pieces in Jarrett Allen, Colin Sexton, and Darius Garland, so they would be looking for players who could improve on their play-style. If I were the Cavs, I would be asking for Joe Harris, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Landry Shamet. Harris and Shamet to space the floor, and Dinwiddie to run the offense when Sexton or Garland aren’t on the floor. If I’m the Cavs, I have to ask for that much, because I have all the leverage in this possible trade.
The Nets would also have to deal with the salary cap issue. The NBA salary cap for this season is about $109 million, and currently the Nets are $53 million over the cap. With a Kevin Love trade for the players mentioned above, the Nets would be about $60 million over the cap, and then of course they’d be DEEP into the luxury tax. I’m sure that the Nets are willing to pay it, especially if they can win a championship. I think the Nets are right to ask for this kind of trade, and I also think that the Cavs would be right to ask for everything they could in return. I don’t think that this trade is likely to happen, but stranger things have happened.
Round The Game 
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