NBA Rumors: Cleveland Should Trade Kevin Love And Opt For Full Rebuild, Scout Tells ‘Bleacher Report’
When the Cleveland Cavaliers lost LeBron James to the Los Angeles Lakers last month, the team lost a franchise player who had led the Cavs to four straight NBA Finals and a memorable come-from-behind championship win against the Golden State Warriors in 2016. It appears that the Cavaliers are trying to remain competitive despite this major loss, given the lack of off-season activity – apart from Kevin Love’s recent contract extension and the selection of Collin Sexton early in the first round of the 2018 NBA Draft.
In an interview with Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report, an unnamed Eastern Conference scout gave his assessment of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ prospects for the 2018-19 NBA season, considering the team’s apparent effort to keep playing for a spot in the playoffs instead of tearing down the lineup and starting fresh in the post-LeBron era. Talking about the Cavs’ postseason chances in 2019, the scout said that he would have rather had Cleveland do the “full rebuild,” as other teams, such as the Indiana Pacers after losing Paul George to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017, “got lucky” when they were still able to make it to the postseason.
“Cleveland needs to build through the draft for the next two to three years, bite the bullet and go from there. Even with the roster that they have now, they’ll probably still get a top-10 pick, maybe a top-five. I don’t see Cleveland being very good. I would have gutted [the lineup].”
What will life after LeBron James be like for Kevin Love and the Cleveland Cavaliers? (via @FanSided) https://t.co/jv1VESSW8I pic.twitter.com/JfwqN3kU4S
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) August 14, 2018
When asked about Kevin Love’s contract extension, which will have him signed to the Cleveland Cavaliers until the 2022-23 season, the scout told Bleacher Report’s Swartz that he does not like the deal at all, even if LeBron James’ exit from Cleveland could result in Love putting up big scoring and rebounding numbers on a “bad team,” much like he did in most of his first six years in the NBA with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Although the unnamed scout stressed that he likes Kevin Love as a player, he suggested that trading him for “assets” would be the best move for someone who should ideally be the “third guy on a really good playoff team,” similar to his role on the Cavaliers when James and Kyrie Irving were still on the team.
“He’s a really good player, but I don’t like it for $30 million.”
Regarding Collin Sexton, whom the Cavaliers selected eighth overall in the 2018 NBA Draft, the scout predicted that the former Alabama point guard could have a better chance than most other rookies to get significant minutes in his first pro season. He hinted that Sexton could turn out similar to Sacramento Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox, who showed flashes of brilliance as a rookie in 2017-18, but struggled at multiple points of the season like most first-year players do.
Likewise, the scout said that the Cavaliers could get big scoring and quality minutes out of Rodney Hood, a restricted free agent who has yet to sign another team’s offer sheet. As of late last month, contract negotiations between Hood and the Cavs had reportedly stalled, as the 25-year-old wingman had yet to receive a “fair,” short-term contract offer from Cleveland, according to the Sporting News.
The #Cavs appear to be Rodney Hood's only remaining option right now.https://t.co/qrRy4aortp
— Cavs Nation (@CavsNationCP) August 18, 2018
With Kevin Love potentially being hard to trade due to his contract extension, Collin Sexton’s inexperience, and the possibility that the Cleveland Cavaliers might lose their 2019 first-round draft pick if they finish outside the top 10 in the 2018-19 NBA season, the scout forecasted that the Cavs’ preseason moves might set them back by “two or three years” and could have them “fighting an uphill battle” for the next decade or so. However, he still concluded his assessment by expressing confidence in Cavs general manager Koby Altman’s ability, and in the team’s fans, whom he believes are loyal enough to keep supporting the team despite the potential challenges.
