Kevin Love and Paul Millsap (Photo : Getty Images)
Rumors around the league are rife about a three-way blockbuster deal involving the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers and OKC Thunder. But would such scenario makes sense for the teams involved?
A potential blockbuster deal is on the table between the Cavs, Hawks and Thunder, according to reports from the Inquisitr. The rumored three-way deal would see the Cavs sending Kevin Love to the Thunder, while acquiring Paul Millsap from Atlanta and Kyle Singler from OKC. The Hawks would then receive Ersan Ilyasova and Domantas Sabonis from the Thunder, including a future first-round draft pick.
It is unclear whether the teams mentioned would truly consider such deals, but any of the listed scenarios probably makes sense for the Cavs, Hawks and Thunder.
The Hawks are entering the regular season without their main star Al Horford, who joined the Boston Celtics earlier this summer. While Atlanta may have constructed a lineup that could fill the void left by Horford, the Hawks seem to veer towards making significant changes after losing Horford via free agency and trading Jeff Teague. And with Millsap likely to opt out next summer from his three-year $60.2 million contract with the Hawks, the 31-year-old veteran could be the next odd man out in Atlanta.
But if the Hawks would trade Millsap, they would likely ask for young assets they could use to kick start their rebuild. This is where the Thunder's suggested trade pieces come in.
By acquiring Sabonis form the OKC, the Hawks would get a big man they could nurture, while also getting a chance to pick their next prospect using the future first-rounder included in the potential deal. Bringing in Ilyasova would give them a young veteran who could fit well spacing the floor for the Hawks.
On the other hand, the Hawks would send Millsap to the Cavs, where the three-time All-Star could be of help for Cleveland's hopes of winning back-to-back titles.
The Cavs are in position to still emerge as one of the top teams in the league after the defending champs secured LeBron James to a three-year pact worth $100 million. But against a revamped Golden State Warriors team, the Cavs may need to make changes to stay atop the power rankings.
Millsap, who averaged 17.1 points and 9.0 rebounds per game for the Hawks last season, would be a tremendous addition for the Cavs. Millsap could offer the Cavs an all-around forward, who can create his own shots and defend multiple positions. But acquiring a veteran talent like Millsap would require the Cavs to give up Kevin Love, who many feels is do not fit well in Cleveland.
Love has struggled ever since joining the Cavs last year, although the three-time All-Star forward played an essential role with the team during their champion run. Playing alongside James and Kyrie Irving may have yielded good results, but his one-way game makes him an expendable piece in Cleveland.
Completing the proposed three-way trade, the Cavs would send Love to the Thunder, where the 28-year-old forward could reunite with his former teammate Russell Westbrook.
Love and Westbrook played college basketball together in UCLA, which means the former should have no issues fitting in OKC. With Kevin Durant gone, the Thunder could certainly use some help to fill the void at the four spot offensively, making Love a perfect acquisition for Oklahoma City.
The proposed trade scenario may not come into fruition as it remains to be seen whether the Cavs, Hawks and Thunder have genuine interests to pull off such moves. But considering all of the mentioned teams' needs and plans, this could be a win-win situation at best.
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