Kevin Love (Photo : Getty Images)
The Cleveland Cavaliers are probably the defending champions who have not been given the most respect. Proof of that is their presence in NBA trade rumors.
The Golden State Warriors dominated the championship odds just a week after losing to the Cavs by four points in an unprecedented Finals comeback from a 3-1 deficit. This is why the Warriors were favored to win the 2017 title even before they acquired Kevin Durant.
The Cavaliers should look unfazed by that move even though they know that they need some work to be done. At the very least, they should field the team intact when the season opens. Beyond that is anybody's guess.
The easy guess is that Kevin Love will likely be traded. This has been mulled over since last season and winning the title only gave a temporary respite. The nagging suspicion is that they would eventually pull the trigger on it later in the season when they start to face the reality that they need to through the Golden State Warriors.
For Love's destination, it's most likely to the trade-hungry teams in the East. The ambitious DeMarcus Cousins scenario may not materialize and the Cavs would probably move on.
For one thing, they need to make sure that the Sixers or even the Celtics would become a threat to their Eastern dominance. Hence, the trade could be late in the season. They also need to figure out their needs. While they lack a true center, facing the Warriors does not necessitate that. What they need are additional wing defenders, like the Boston Celtics' Jae Crowder and Avery Bradley.
Sports Illustrated team blog Hardwood Houdini notes that Love is still a legitimate Celtics target. Mitchell Gastin of HH said that "past seasons have shown, Love doesn't necessarily fit in Cleveland, and if Boston can't land another star this offseason, Love could still be the answer."
Love for Crowder and Bradley is a reasonable trade despite some Celtics fans who would contend the value of their incumbent players. A Horford-Love combo could take them one step higher. It won't be enough to topple the Cavs as a DeMarcus Cousins or Russell Westbrook trade probably could but they get to keep the Brooklyn Nets' picks.
If the Cavs struggle with the interior defense and decide that they really need a center (to survive the East which now has more big men then before), the Sixers could be their fallback option as the Inquisitr reported rumors of a Love-Noel trade. Nerlens Noel of the Sixers is definitely on the block but the Cavs would definitely ask for more. Future draft assets could be sent to another team for a minor piece that the Cavs need (Kenneth Faried or Ben McLemore perhaps).
