Since falling short in the 2017 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been a busy team behind closed doors, trying to improve the roster through the trade market.
One of the Cavaliers’ primary trade target has been All-Star forward Paul George from the Indiana Pacers. According to Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com, they haven’t been able to acquire George due to one major reason.
I’m told the Indiana Pacers don’t want Kevin Love, at least not right now. Their goal is young players and draft picks. They definitely want to trade Paul George. It would be a shock if they open the season with him on the roster. Indiana knows George will leave via free agency in the summer of 2018.
Although Kevin Love is coming off his best individual season since joining the Cavaliers, there has been a lack of interest in him around the league. The 28-year-old doesn’t exactly move the needle enough for the Pacers to commit to departing with George in a trade.
Love is set to make $72.3 million over the next three seasons putting him under contract for the prime of career. If he remains relatively healthy, there should be several more productive campaigns ahead of him that may include a few more All-Star selections.
Ultimately, if the Cavaliers want to land George or another superstar talent, it’s going to have to take a big package beyond just Love.
