NBA Rumors: Should Cavaliers Trade Kevin Love, Collin Sexton, And Cedi Osman For Anthony Davis?
The departure of LeBron James didn’t only take away the Cleveland Cavaliers’ status as a legitimate title contender in the Eastern Conference, but it also turned them into one of the worst teams in the league. Even with a healthy Kevin Love, it remains a big question if the Cavaliers have what it takes to earn a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. With their goal to immediately return to title contention, the Cavaliers may consider making some big moves in the 2019 NBA offseason.
Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report created a list of trade packages the 29 NBA teams could offer to the New Orleans Pelicans to acquire Anthony Davis next summer. In the proposed trade deal that will send Davis to Cleveland, Buckley suggested that the Cavaliers could send Kevin Love, Collin Sexton, Cedi Osman, and a future first-round pick to the Pelicans in exchange for the All-Star big man.
The successful acquisition of Anthony Davis will give the Cavaliers a player who deserves to be called the face of the franchise. Davis will tremendously improve the Cavaliers’ performance on both ends of the floor, giving them an All-Star big man who’s a very reliable scoring option, rebounder, facilitator, shot-blocker, and can knock down shots from beyond the arc. This season, the 26-year-old center/power forward is averaging 25.9 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.4 blocks, and 1.6 steals on 51.7 percent shooting from the field and 33.1 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
A trade package including Kevin Love, Collin Sexton, Cedi Osman, and a future first-round pick can definitely catch the Pelicans’ attention, but even Buckley doubts if it is enough to convince them to send Anthony Davis to Cleveland.
“This doesn’t seem bad on paper since Love is a five-time All-Star, Sexton isn’t a year removed from being a top-10 selection, and the first-round pick is coming from an obvious rebuilder. But with Love’s bloated salary and scary injury history, he might not have any trade value. Sexton has yet to answer questions surrounding his inefficiency and underwhelming playmaking. That pick could be years from conveying, since Cleveland’s 2019 first is owed to the Atlanta Hawks with top-10 protection for this summer and next. As a glue-guy-in-training, Osman is more sweetener than centerpiece.”
Great chatting with @SBondyNYDN about the Knicks, Kevin Durant possibly signing with them, how Madison Square Garden could be forced to move and why they would trade Zion Williamson for Anthony Davis https://t.co/1eh4FAx2Cx
— The Big Lead (@TheBigLead) April 3, 2019
Also, going all-in for Anthony Davis will be a huge gamble for the Cavaliers, knowing that “The Brow” has a player option on his contract that will enable him to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2020. When he demanded a trade from the Pelicans before the February NBA trade deadline, Davis made it clear that he wants to play for a team where he can consistently win and contend for the NBA championship title. The arrival of Davis could help the Cavaliers return to the playoffs in the 2019-20 NBA season, but it won’t be enough to bring them back to the NBA Finals.
