The NBA trade rumor mill has two big names on the headlines: Jimmy Butler and Kevin Love.
Butler has been on teams' radars because of the rumored dissension in his team but his availability has been questioned because the Chicago Bulls assigned him to represent the team in the lottery.
The impression that Butler could be had for the right package lingered around the league and this led to the latest rumor about the Minnesota Timberwolves, now coached by Butler's former mentor Tom Thibodeau, pursuing him using their first round pick as reported by ESPN.
It was a logical move for Thibodeau, one that was predicted and suspected since he took over the reins as the team's President of Basketball Operations aside from being the head coach. However, as the report offered, "the Bulls naturally would demand a significant amount in return to part with Butler, which likely translates to at least one front-line player in addition to a top lottery pick this month."
On the other hand, the Cleveland Cavaliers, division rivals of the Bulls, is now the top dog in the East. They are locked in a battle with the Golden State Warriors for all the marbles in the NBA Finals. They are bannered by their new Big Three, LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.
In Game 5 of the Finals, with the Cavs on the ropes, the team needed big performances from their stars. Both James and Irving threw out their best with 41 points each. Kevin Love chipped in all of 2 points.
This could be the straw that breaks the camel's back, if it hasn't been broken already. In Game 3, the Cavs demolished the Warriors by 30 points when Love was out on concussion protocol.
Tom Ziller of SB Nation notes that these are not coincidences. The Cavs are not necessarily a better team without Kevin Love, but more and more teams are using the small-ball strategy against them. The counter-move is to play LeBron at the power forward spot-which would require Love to play center and that has led to defensive lapses.
While LeBron can't play power forward full-time, Kevin Love's deficiency at the center spot makes him practically a reserve-a $ 21 million bench player. Ziller thinks this is "unnecessary and wasteful" and the Cavs "can find cheaper options to give what Love offers."
Kevin Love for Butler is not an easy value match. Love's stock has dwindled since he went to Cleveland-far from averaging 27 points and 12 rebounds in his last year with Minnesota. While basketball insiders know that it's a consequence of joining a stacked team, it still affects his value especially against Butler-a newly appointed Alpha Dog.
Butler will give the Cavs a solid, small forward option when LeBron plays the "four." He would be a much better upgrade to Richard Jefferson who took Love's starting spot. Butler, James and Irving on the floor would be devastating.
Which is why the Chicago Bulls would actually ask for more in this trade. Love is still a good player and he could be valuable in Hoiball offense because his three point range provides spacing. He could still be a double-digit rebounder as well. But the Bulls need to see that-which the league hasn't in the past two seasons.
The Bulls could ask for Iman Shumpert back in this deal or execute a three-way trade with one of Love's suitors like the Boston Celtics and take the trade package instead, as this could help their rebuild in the long-term.