[BS Report] 03/09/15 - Kevin Love to Houston, Harden MVP

We should get happy players

 

Get unhappy players at low price and make them happy.

 

Howard for K Love? Only if his knee is shot. You have to be kidding.

 

I don't want Love either. Nobody remembers what he did to Scola??

 

Only way we can get Love is by trading Dwight or butchering our bench + DMo and TJo. And if we trade Dwight, then we pretty much dont have any center. So unless DMo magically starts defending paint and blocking shots, this wont work.

 

Morey can't shop Dwight, just proves that he'll trade anyone and we'll never get another top level free agent to sign here. Keep him and let him walk or trade him as he's already going out the door, but you have to change that "trader Joe" image at some point.

 

Love benched in the 4th again.

 

Totally marginalized outside of the 1st Q

 

This is why the "3rd star" idea is pointless. What's the point of paying Kevin Love a max deal if he's not going to come close to producing at that level?

2 stars and role players that fit > 3 stars

 

It's not that I want him badly but Love would fit in fine here.

 

I am really starting to lean that way too, but with the upcoming super cap at $90M, you could have 3 superstars + role players, correct?

 

[rquoter]...

Likewise, Love is important for the Cavaliers. He's one of only eight guys in the NBA averaging at least 16 points and 10 rebounds. He's not a regular 25-15 monster. He's not an every-possession dominator. He's not the sun and stars of the Cavaliers, not even the moon and sky. He's the rain cloud: irregular but necessary in the grand scheme and always welcome. You could do a whole lot worse at power forward. In fact every season LeBron has been in Cleveland, the Cavaliers have done a whole lot worse at power forward. Love is fine.

Does he want to be fine? Does he want to be a 16-10 starter for a championship contender, deferring to LeBron and Kyrie Irving in perpetuity and hoping his coach can find space for him late in games or in the playoffs? Or would he rather be the Kevin Love of Minnesota, but on a larger stage? Because if that's what he wants -- in Los Angeles, in Boston, in several notable cities -- he can have it. He can opt out in June, sign a huge contract in July and get back to 25-15 status under bright lights, all at the cost of ensured victory.

It's his choice, and neither option is a bad one. He'll get paid handsomely either way. If he signs with the Lakers, an absolutely dreadful, threadbare franchise, Love'll hear plenty of criticism from folks who believe winning is everything. It doesn't matter. Love on the Lakers would mean All-Star appearances, even more ad campaigns, billboards and the potential of team success down the road. I don't know Kevin Love, and chances are you don't either. But I can imagine Love being happy in such a situation. And really, that's all that should matter: what makes Kevin Love happy. It's his decision.

There's also a middle path. He has a player option for the 2015-16 season. The salary cap is going to swell in 2016, so it likely behooves Love to try to become a free agent then. The easiest way is to opt in with the Cavaliers. That'd give him two seasons as a third option, two shots at the ultimate team success. If it's not to his liking, he can then go get paid to be a No. 1 option in 2016.

Kevin Love doesn't look happy right now. He has been the centerpiece, a star all his life. He has shown he can be that for an NBA team. Not a particularly good NBA team, mind you, but he can absolutely be a star of an NBA team. He's not that right now. He's a very good role player being paid like a superstar. He does not seem to enjoy playing that role. As such, who could blame him for walking away? He has to live with decision, just as Cleveland's front office will have to live with the decision to trade away Andrew Wiggins to nab Love. What's happened has happened, and only what lies ahead matters.

http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2015/3/13/8207481/kevin-love-cleveland-cavaliers-free-agency-2015[/rquoter]

 

is this a joke?

 

Oh, I agree. He'd be a perfect fit. I just think you're paying a premium for production that could be had much cheaper.

This is true. Depends if we can find the right 3rd guy, though.

 

"He's not the sun and stars of the Cavaliers, not even the moon and sky. He's the rain cloud: irregular but necessary in the grand scheme and always welcome. You could do a whole lot worse at power forward.

Wow. Talk about damning with faint praise. "You could do a whole lot worse at power forward." One could say the same thing about our own power forwards, holding down the 4 spot by committee. Faint praise indeed. No wonder Love feels a distinct lack of love playing for the Cavs. Nice find, J.R.!

 

Love is somewhat a victim of circumstance in Cleveland. Other than Lebron and Mozgov, they do not have any quality defenders in their regular rotation. Their defensive weakness in their backcourt means they need strong defenders in their front court in crunch time.

In many ways, Cleveland is built completely different than Houston. Weak defensively, ISO heavy, and half court focused. Love would fit in much better here, and he certainly wouldn't ride pine in any 4th quarter.

 

Yet another article discussing the potential that Love leaves Cleveland this summer:

The nightmare scenario for the Cleveland Cavaliers is getting real

We know most of this, except for this tidbit:

HTML:

Most recently, Love sat out two-straight games to "rest" after being benched in the fourth quarter against the San Antonio Spurs. At first Blatt said Love came to him and asked for a rest. Later, Love said it was Blatt who proposed the idea of two games off.

There seems to be a real problem here. I don't think this is just media fluff. The question is will Love really leave over it?

 

Oops. Here's the quote:

 

Love needs to opt out and sign with Houston, no trades. Nothing in life is free, including love but Love should come willingly.

 

I seriously think Love wants that 2016 money

Rocket River