The Cleveland Cavaliers may trade Kevin Love for a potential star in Aaron Gordon if LeBron James decides to stay in The Land.
After the Cavs' historical comeback in the NBA Finals, all eyes shift to James' impending decision to opt out of his contract and potentially join another team this summer. Teams like the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers have been speculated as possible destinations for the four-time MVP.
However, there is also a possibility that King James stay in his kingdom after bringing Cleveland its first major championship in 52 years. And if James decide it is his best option, many believes a major trade would go down for the Cavs to be back-to-back champs. Matt Borcas of The Ringer explored one possible trade scenario the Cavs could consider involving Kevin Love and Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon.
If ever LeBron stays in Cleveland, there is a great chance he will demand the Cavs to pursue key players that would help in his quest to give the Cavs their first taste of back-to-back titles. According to Borcas, the Cavs could look into a young talent who has "already begun developing his game, but still has a lot of upside to explore," fittingly describing the 20-year-old Gordon.
Gordon has become a key player in the Magic's rotation in his sophomore year, averaging 9.2 points and 6.5 rebounds, while playing 23.9 minutes per game. His numbers and playing time significantly increased from his rookie season with the Magic, and there is a chance of Gordon becoming a perennial All-Star if he continues an upward trend.
Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reported prior to the Feb. 18 trade deadline that the Magic have no intentions of trading their young nucleus, including Gordon, but would probably consider if it would be for someone who can definitely help Orlando.
Love has been struggling mightily as the third option behind James and Kyrie Irving, but he still has great value for other teams like the Magic, who needs star power and veteran presence. Despite his lackluster performance in the NBA Finals, the Magic may still be intrigued in adding Love's outside shooting and rebounding prowess.
It is undetermined whether the Cavs really have a genuine interest on Gordon or any other available players in the trade market, and there is also the likelihood of Cleveland waiting for yet another "The Decision" from James this summer. Nevertheless, Love is still the most valuable trade asset the Cavs have and could certainly return a talented youngster like Gordon if traded.