After head coach Tyronn Lue’s starting lineup change, the Cleveland Cavaliers have won two games in a row against the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons. As they faced the Pistons for the second time in two days, they simply cannot catch a break.
In the first half, Kevin Love suffered a hand injury and received X-rays. According to Dave McMenamin and Brian Windhorst of ESPN, Love is likely out 6-8 weeks after suffering a non-displaced fracture in his left hand:
It is well-documented the Cavaliers have struggled in January since LeBron James’ second stint. After losing seven of their first 10 games of the month, it appeared the Cavaliers were headed in the right direction with Lue inserting Tristan Thompson into the starting lineup for Jae Crowder.
Now that the 29-year-old is expected to miss significant time, the rumors will only grow louder as the trade deadline approaches on Feb. 8. After the Los Angeles Clippers traded Blake Griffin to the Detroit Pistons, discussions could restart as DeAndre Jordan and Lou Williams have both been previously linked to Cleveland.
With the Clippers looking to stay competitive while clearing cap space and adding draft picks, all the attention is on the 2018 Brooklyn Nets first round draft pick. While Jordan and/or Williams would help Cleveland, there will be major implications for the franchise in the short- and long-term.
Love is averaging 18.2 points and 9.6 rebounds in 47 games during the 2017-18 NBA season.