Kevin Love and Kenneth Faried (Photo : Twitter)
NBA trade rumors staple Kevin Love has been a target of the Denver Nuggets since 2014 and that stance has not changed.
According to SB Nation, the Boston media both had versions of a Denver offer that included Kenneth Faried and Wilson Chandler even when Love was still in Minnesota.
These rumors persist and Faried is also still on the trading block. Love is with the Cleveland Cavaliers but his fit with the team is still questionable. The Cavaliers are also in the hunt for a center, and fortunately, Denver also has that trade chip.
The Nuggets has found their center for the future in Nikola Jokic who emerged as a first team All Rookie member. This has made their center Jusuf Nurkic from last year dispensable in a trade. While head coach Mike Malone has no qualms about playing both Nurkic and Jokic together, a power forward with outside shooting like Kevin Love would be a great complement to Jokic.
Thus, the Nuggets could send Nurkic and Kenneth Faried to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Kevin Love.
The Nuggets still has cap space and they could absorb Kevin Love's salary. In fact, they can even acquire Nerlens Noel in a separate trade or involve them in a three-way blockbuster deal.
The Nuggets may also have interest for Noel as a defense-oriented center. Noel can play alongside Jokic or Love. According to SB Nation team blog Denver Stiffs, the Nuggets should be "crazy interested in Noel" as a defensive rim protector.
"Noel ranked in the top 10 in the league in per game steals and blocks, finished in the top 10 in defensive rating, and helped the 76ers finish 13th in defensive rating," Daniel C. Lewis of DS pointed out.
Lewis also studied the chemistry between Noel and Jokic. "His (Noel) quickness and agility would allow him to guard power forwards, and Jokic's ability to make plays from the elbows out would alleviate concerns about spacing with the two players on the court."
Another plus factor for the Nuggets is that Noel's asking price has allegedly dropped since the Sixers placed him on the trading block in June. This is because the Sixers will parade in the heralded Joel Embiid and the team will have a logjam at the center position. Trading a backcourt player like Will Barton may be enough to acquire the former Kentucky standout.
