Will Kevin Love trade haunt the Cavaliers for many years?

[Celtics4ever]

So glad we did not get him.

[KG Living Legend]

 Biggest mistake was this. Roll with Irving, Lebron, Wiggins and extra cap space. See how good they are, and who fits with Lebron.

 Then get a Kings ransom for Irving or Wiggins. I'd trade Kyrie cause he needs the ball and he's defense is pathetic.

 They had a chance at a Pippen Jordan like duo. With the benefit of Wiggins turning into a #1 scorer.

[flybono]

If Love is on the table for the #3 pick straight up or with a combination of players and the deal isn't made?
Ainge should be fired!

Love is player. Let's not read into box scores and assume he is not a top 15 player in these league..

[ahonui06]

If Love is on the table for the #3 pick straight up or with a combination of players and the deal isn't made?
Ainge should be fired!

Love is player. Let's not read into box scores and assume he is not a top 15 player in these league..

Kevin Love doesn't make transcend teams and make yours better. He can fill up the stat sheet but doesn't improve others around him. I rather Ainge use the 3rd pick on a player that could potentially lead Boston to a championship. Better than wasting it on Love who I already know won't.

[crimson_stallion]

Also what happened to LeBron's jump shot?

It died in the 2014 Finals versus the Spurs suddenly and never came back.

No kidding. The guy cannot make a jumper. It's amazing.

Not really, he was never a good shooter (except in those dagger games agains the Cs.)

He has basically maxed out his shooting ability and I expect that we will see a steep decline as he ages and he loses some of his athleticism.  He is no Kobe Bryant.

Yes he made close to a couple triple doubles .....but .....the age is showing ......he can force his will on the bottom feeders .....but less and less on the western contenders .  He was much more MACHO or super human against the Warriors last year.   These past two games he seems unable to carry the team with a 40 point effort .  Which he use to put on anybody anytime he felt.   

Father Time has started creeping up on the super human one. ......400000 minutes is wearing on him.

I called this a couple of years ago.

If you look at Lebron career he basically has followed Kevin Garnett's path.  Came into the NBA at a young age from high school, played massive minutes almost from day one, with his teams depending on him a great deal to carry them.  Up until the age of 29-30 remained remarkably healthy, barely any injuries.

All of the same was true for Kevin Garnett, then the second he got to around the 31-32 range his body started to break down and he started to slow down physically.  I pretty much figured the same would happen with Lebron - slowly at first, then more severely as he gets in to the 33-34 age bracket.

If you look at past players, many of them were able to prolong their careers by relying on improved jumpers once their physical dominance wore off (Malone, Jordan, KG, etc).  If Lebron wants to continue to play at a high level into his mid 30's, he's going to have to develop his post game and become a more consistent jump shooter.

[crimson_stallion]

If Love is on the table for the #3 pick straight up or with a combination of players and the deal isn't made?
Ainge should be fired!

Love is player. Let's not read into box scores and assume he is not a top 15 player in these league..

Kevin Love is nowhere near a top 15 player in this league anymore...if you think that then I'm sorry, but you're living a few years in the past.

[TheSundanceKid]

You've got to figure that Wiggins would have been shopped for someone else if the Love deal hadn't gone through. So I don't think this trade in particular haunts them. Sometimes things don't work out, sometimes they work perfectly. Doesn't mean that the risk shouldn't be taken

[Androslav]

I don't think it will haunt them. They can still flip him for a valuable piece IMO. He is on a long-term contract signed before the cap explosion. That always helps. It is clearly visible that he isn't the missing piece, though.
I think the blame should go to LBJ. He is the leader, after all, and that's how it goes.
He believes he is a one man franchise band, but in fact, no one can be player/agent/gm that he has proven he is trying to be.
Some quick points to support this statement;
- Firing and hiring coaches (Blat-Lue, also if Riles wasn't the boss that he is Lebron would find a way to fire Spoelstra)
- Trading players (the Wiggins trade, I am not including James Jones and those types of moves)
- Blackmailing your own team to make the signings that help your sports agency. (T.Thompson)

I think he is well aware that his clock is ticking, he isn't a young man he used to be. Therefore, he is trying to be more active, especially with the front office decisions.
Unfortunately, he is disabling any continuity that is needed to build a championship team. Is Lue better coach than Blatt? I'd say - no.
Will Lue be the last ingredient needed for the chip? - no.

LBJ wants to measure himself with MJ, Magic, Kareem, Duncan and Bird, the best of the best. I get it, he has every right to put his ambition that high. But...
Would MJ win a chip if he were to dismiss Phils triangle after 1st seasons playoff exit? He was sceptical, but he bought in. Did he say "Toni who?" when Krause was raving about Kukoč? He did, but he left the front office moves to be made by front office people. He stayed in his lane. That's teamwork.
None of the aforementioned players were giving themselves the right to think that they know more that their superiors (front office is that if you believe in a structured NBA organization.) They might have thought about it, but they weren't making the power moves to impose their wills on their respective franchises, as far as I know.

We, the Celtics know this and simplified that's why we have the most championships. Spurs have 5, Bulls 6, and Cleveland has none.

[chambers]

Kyrie Irving is a bigger problem for them than Love.

Kyrie can't guard a chair, can't guard switches, and is a ball hog.

He's killing his team this series and Lebron just keeps finding every way possible to pass to him.

The Cavs still don't use Love the way they should, but he's still playing at an All Star caliber even if he's being misused.

I think the Cavs could have found a better piece than Love, but Irving is the biggest black hole on that team by far.

[Celtics4ever]

If Love is on the table for the #3 pick straight up or with a combination of players and the deal isn't made?
Ainge should be fired!

Love is player. Let's not read into box scores and assume he is not a top 15 player in these league..

What are you his agent.   He has done poorly in these playoffs.   A house is only as strong as it's foundation.  A team built around Love would be an early exit from the playoffs if it would even make the playoffs.  (See his time in Minny).

[pearljammer10]

If Love is on the table for the #3 pick straight up or with a combination of players and the deal isn't made?
Ainge should be fired!

Love is player. Let's not read into box scores and assume he is not a top 15 player in these league..

What are you his agent.   He has done poorly in these playoffs.   A house is only as strong as it's foundation.  A team built around Love would be an early exit from the playoffs if it would even make the playoffs.  (See his time in Minny).

Why would we not assume Love is not a top 15 player in the league? He's not right now.... and hasn't been for the last couple years thats for sure.

[pearljammer10]

I think the fact that they not only gave up Wiggins, but also another #1 overall pick (Anthony Bennett --- but coulda been Victor Oladipo), plus another 1st rounder makes it pretty grotesque.

Wiggins, Oladipo and that #1 would be a solid foundation, around a core of LeBron, Kyrie and the other vets they would have signed out side of Kevin Love. They'd be younger, but deeper and poised for both the long and short term.

The Cavs management lost LeBron by burning all their chips and strapping themselves cap-wise the 1st time around. They're doing similar things now that limit their flexibility for short term success.

Giving up 2 first rounders for 1/2 an effective season from Mozgov? Giving up two #1 overall picks and a 1st rounder for Love. Giving up Zeller and parts for cap space?

All around, pretty tough moves. That said, they're a very good team right now . .. but not good enough to take out a healthy Warriors team.

I twisted ankle by Steph or Klay and there could be a series. Otherwise no.

I dont know.

Wiggins, (potentially) Oladipo and a future first was definitely a steep price. But don't forget Love was coming off a year where he averaged 26, 12.5 and 4.4 shooting 46% and 37% from deep. Add to that the fact that the Cavs have made the Finals both years since the trade and its hard to not say it was worth it to maximize Lebrons last few great years.

Wiggins is already a 20+ point scorer and by the time he is 22 or 23 who knows how good he might be. From a long term stand point, the trade might not have been great. However, there's only 2 teams that have made the finals for two straight years and have had a chance to win an NBA Championship. Despite how weak the East might be....The Cavs are one of them and that's a hard opportunity to pass up.

[jbpats]

Rumors already speculating that he is as good as gone (assuming Cleveland doesn't pull a miraculous comeback somehow).

I honestly feel folks are in denial if they feel Ainge wouldn't make a play for Love in trade. Ainge has always wanted Love, now he can potentially be had.

I think the #3 and Bradley gets him. Cavs can flip the #3 or include a third team to get it done.

In all honesty I wouldn't mind it. I don't see anybody better than Love at #3 and by trading Bradley gives the opportunity to further develop Smart and RJ.

The only reason I don't do this trade is if we can get Butler for a similar package.

Assume we trade for Love, I think the next logical move is to sign Horford (assuming we can). Of course we let Sully, JJ and Amir walk (hopefully we can resign Turner).

Horford/KO
Love/Mickey
Crowder/ET
Smart/RJ
IT/Rozier

This solves almost all our issues from last season. We get our post threat in Horford and our outside shooting threat in Love. I know people are down on Love but honestly I think he's a product of a poor system, and being the third option on a uncoached team. A shooter needs shots and Love simply isn't getting them in Cleveland. I agree he is a below average defender, but I think CBS can get the most out of him defensively.. also a combination of Smart/Crowder and Horford more than compensate for his defensive inefficiencies... not to mention Mickey will come in as a change of pace guy on the defensive end at the 4.
Also, I have said it time and time again.. I strongly feel Love and IT would be deadly on the pick and roll.

I think if the offer presents itself it is a no brainer for the Celtics. I think it makes us a top 2 team in the East, especially with Toronto likely losing Derozan.. would it make us better than Cleveland? I think it all depends on how the players gel together.

 

[JohnBoy65]

Back when Lebron / Cavs pulled the trigger on the deal the Warriors were a middle of the road team out in the West , 47 wins in 2013 and 51 in 2014. I don't think Lebron even factored them into the equation as a team he would have to go through to win the title.
Making in through to the Finals every year is something not to be taken lightly.
If the Cavs didn't have to face the Warriors , the trade may be looked at a lot differently, They have matched up differently against the Spurs and Thunder , beating them during the regular season.

This... This...This.... and THIS! Golden State is making the Cavs look silly, but they've done that to just about everyone. Let's not forget if Golden State wins the title they're considered one of the best 2 teams EVER in the NBA, and there are no signs that it won't last for another 3-4 years. If this Golden State team hadn't blossomed as nicely as it did, it's likely that Cleveland could win a championship. I am not sure there's any team that could be realistically put together that would beat the Warriors. The Thunder have 2 of the NBA's top 5 players and they couldn't get it done. So, I think the 'win now' trade wasn't all in all a bad trade, they got unlucky with the emergence of this new super team. 

2nd point: If the Celtics hadn't won a championship you could argue that the KG and Ray Allen trades were bad for the Celtics too. Luckily for us we did get a championship, luckily for us we did have a pretty competitive 5 year window, and LUCKILY for us the incompetence of the Brooklyn front office helped our re-build. From 07-12 we were really in a similar situation as the Cavs, no cap space, limited assets, and not much room for improvement.

[SHAQATTACK]

Love is exposed on the Cavs .   Warrior players are much more athletic . 

Love is a skinny Sully who shoots a better three.