The market for a Kevin Love trade has been surprisingly mild this offseason, despite a few teams whiffing on their desire to add a star player in free agency.
A hefty reason for that was the 22 games he played for the Cleveland Cavaliers last season after sustaining a toe injury quickly after inking a four-year, $120 million extension with the team.
Love put up a respectable 17 points and 10.9 rebounds per game throughout his brief stint last season, but doling out a $30 million per year figure for a would-be 31-year-old by the start of 2019-20 has been rather unsavory for teams inquiring about a potential trade, which will want to see that Love is healthy before darting a substantial offer, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer.
Love is no longer the 20-and-15 threat he once was with the Minnesota Timberwolves, but has rather transformed into a complementary player as a very capable stretch-four with strong rebounding and passing capabilities.
Yet shelling out $30 million (near max money) each season for a player that can be a second or third option for a contender only makes sense if he is the missing piece the franchise needs to put it over the top.
Contenders will want an indication that Love has completely recovered from his injury and is in good standing moving forward before assembling a package that would make the Cavs reconsider their stance.
The Cavs have not entertained talks for Love thus far, but could second-guess that line of thinking as the trade deadline approaches next year in search of more assets.
