In the last several days following LeBron James to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency, the rumblings around All-Star forward Kevin Love’s future with the franchise have become a prominent topic of discussion.
However, there is a growing notion that he will be on the roster to begin the year as one of their primary fixtures in the offensive game plan. According to Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com, an NBA executive has voiced that they believe Love’s trade value will rise prior to the trade deadline that will make him an intriguing prospect.
“Because I think he’ll be more in demand during the season by the trading deadline,” said the executive. “Kevin could have a very good year for the Cavs being the focal point of the offense. He is a talented player.”
In the last four years with the Cavaliers, Love has been asked to take a backseat offensively as either the second or third option behind the likes of James and even Kyrie Irving before he departed last summer. There is an opportunity in front of him to grasp that leading offensive role to showcase his ability as a scorer like he did during his time with the Minnesota Timberwolves that established him as one of the premier big men in the league.
Love is still in the prime of his career where he could have plenty of productive basketball ahead of him where he can be a highly dependable cornerstone for a franchise. The table is set for the 29-year-old to put that on display in the first half of this upcoming season that should significantly raise his trade value for teams looking to take that next step toward becoming legitimate title contenders or add a proven star to the mix.
There is many ways this can all unfold over the next several months with the only thing being clear for Love is that he has a prime opportunity to show once again that he’s still a premier big man in the NBA.
