The Cleveland Cavaliers are on the brink of falling short of defending their title, with the Golden State Warriors now up 3-0 in the NBA Finals.
Following a disappointing loss in Game 3 on Wednesday night, most of the attention around the league has shifted toward possible moves in the offseason that can help improve the roster to better compete against the Warriors. During an interview on the Dan Patrick Show on Wednesday, Chris Haynes of ESPN indicated that the Cavaliers may look to move Kevin Love in the offseason if the team gets swept.
“If the Cavs get swept, Kevin Love will get traded over the summer. He’s the scapegoat every year. It’s been like that every since he’s been there. Right or wrong. I don’t know what you get back as far as improving, but I think the fact is that they know what they are with Kevin Love.”
This isn’t the first time that Love has heard trade rumors around him since arriving to the Cavaliers. He has often become the primary target for change each time that Cleveland has struggled over the last three years.
It has been an uphill battle at times for Love, but he appears to have finally securely fit into his role with the team this season. He is coming off his most productive regular season in a Cavaliers’ uniform, averaging 19.0 points and 11.1 rebounds per game, and he has only built on that in the playoffs.
Love was particularly huge against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, putting together a double-double in each of the five games in the series. He has also been a source a reliable in the NBA Finals, averaging 17.0 points and 13.7 rebounds through the first three contests.
However, he notably struggled offensively in Game 3, scoring just nine points on 1-of-9 shooting from the field. That included 1-of-7 from 3-point range that completely overshadowed his 13 rebounds and six steals in the loss.
Unless the Cavaliers can somehow manage to come back again in the NBA Finals against the Warriors, Love’s future with the team will certainly be a prevalent topic in the offseason.