The NBA trade rumors continue to hound the Cleveland Cavaliers and if they want to make any change, it may boil down to one question.
Nerlens Noel of Kevin Love. Which one will the Cavs include in their opening day starting lineup?
It's easy to say it's Kevin Love. He is already the starting power forward. He is part of the Cavs championship team. Unless there is a compelling reason to make a change, like a chance to improve, why should they even touch Love?
According to Bret Stuter of Sports Illustrated team blog for the Philadelphia 76ers The Sixer Sense, "the Cavaliers need Noel if they intend on repeating as NBA champions. To get him, the team could offer a package of Love and a second player like Iman Shumpert for Noel and Carl Landry."
For a certified star like Kevin Love, that seems like a paltry return-a transaction that can get a GM fired. Landry hardly has trade value anymore and these two players were part of a championship run. However, that is from the point of view of the Sixers.
From the Cleveland Cavaliers viewpoint, Quenton Albertie of the team blog King James Gospel concurs with trading for Noel.
"Though Okafor has been rumored to be a trade target of a few notable teams, Noel is the player the Cavaliers should covet. He provides the team with the tangibles they need defensively and the balance they need on the roster. More importantly, Noel shouldn't be too high of a price for the Cavaliers," Albertie reasoned.
It should be noted that one of the reasons that Albertie campaigned for a Noel trade is because the price is "not too high." Thus, he believes that Love, a member of the team's "Big Three" would not be part of the package. That contradicts the scenario that Stuter presented (and complied with).
Thus, these parameters are established (this is purely from a fan perspective): Cleveland would trade for Noel if the price is right. By "right" that means Kevin Love is not included. Since the Sixers would agree to trade Noel IF Kevin Love is given in return, then the deal is probably not happening.
Basketball Insiders dropped the mic on a Kevin Love trade recently.
"While there are no shortage of suitors who would take on Love's contract, sources close to the Cavs say moving him is not even remotely a consideration. As for trading Love, there is no sense that the Cavs are even listening to offers. Like Cousins, he is a name you can simply remove from the discussion," Steve Kyler of BI stated.
Kyler's is not brushing off any possible transaction that happens in the season, and it would be difficult to think that the Cavs are NOT at all listening offers than they haven't actually found the right one. To trade Love now is a defeatist stance and bad public relations for a reigning champion, and they definitely won't trade him for just Nerlens Noel.