Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love would have liked to get traded to a contender at the NBA trade deadline. However, the Cavs All-Star and his agent knew it probably wasn’t going to happen this season, according to Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report.
Instead of trading Love and Tristan Thompson, the Cavs instead traded for Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond. Cleveland now has a frontcourt log jam, but Thompson becomes a free agent after this season ends and the Cavs will surely try and trade Love again in the summer:
“Kevin and [agent] Jeff [Schwartz] wanted a trade, but I think both knew it probably wasn’t going to happen,” the former GM said. “It’s something they’ll push for again in the summer. I think he’ll be traded this summer since the free-agent market is so bare and the draft doesn’t look like anything special. Teams need to add talent somehow.”
Love is making $28.9 million this season. He has three years left on his contract after this season ends.
Love has appeared in 46 games for the Cavs this season. He’s averaging 17.7 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists while shooting 45.7 percent from the field, 38.0 percent from beyond the arc and 85.3 percent from the free-throw line.
NBA execs don’t expect teams interested in Love to give up a lot to acquire him since they don’t see the 31-year-old as a game-changer who can put a team over the top at this stage of his career.
