NBA Rumors: Cavaliers, Celtics Could Explore Kevin Love-For-Gordon Hayward Trade, ‘Bleacher Report’ Suggests
The Boston Celtics may have lost Kyrie Irving to the Brooklyn Nets in the 2019 NBA free agency, but they don’t have any plan of undergoing another rebuild. Instead of getting younger, the Celtics are eyeing to build a roster that can give them a strong chance of fully dominating the Eastern Conference and winning the NBA championship title in the 2019-20 NBA season. The Celtics immediately filled the void left by Irving by signing Kemba Walker to a four-year, $140 million contract.
After replacing Kyrie Irving with Kemba Walker, the Celtics should now focus on addressing their frontcourt issues. They currently need a boost in their frontcourt, especially after losing Al Horford and Aron Baynes this summer. According to Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report, one of the players that the Celtics could target on the trade market is Kevin Love of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In the proposed trade deal by Bleacher Report, the Celtics will be sending Gordon Hayward, a 2020 first-round pick, and a 2022 first-round pick to the Cavaliers in exchange for Kevin Love. The deal works on ESPN‘s NBA Trade Machine. If the trade becomes a reality, it will help both the Celtics and the Cavaliers in filling up the needs to improve on their roster.
“Adding Love to Walker and Tatum would give Boston its latest Big Three, pushing it back toward the top of the Eastern Conference. Hayward’s contract (two years, $66.9 million) has become a burden on Boston’s salary cap, and the C’s would likely have to attach draft picks to get rid of it. The Cavs would get the Celtics’ first-round picks in 2020 (unprotected) and 2022 (lottery protected)—essentially one for giving up Love and another for taking back Hayward’s contract. While Love is due a hefty amount himself (four years, $120 million), he’s a far better player than Hayward and gives Boston the All-Star power forward it desperately needs.”
Kevin Love Says LeBron Can Take Lakers to NBA Finals If … https://t.co/UCyQCdNiW4
— TMZ (@TMZ) June 8, 2019
Despite his defensive issues, Kevin Love is undeniably an upgrade for Gordon Hayward, giving the Celtics an All-Star caliber big man who can knock down shots from beyond the arc. Last season, the 30-year-old power forward averaged 17.0 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 2.2 assists on 38.5 percent shooting from the field and 36.1 percent shooting from beyond the arc. What makes Love a more intriguing addition to the Celtics is his ability to efficiently play alongside other NBA superstars.
After spending three years as Kyrie Irving and LeBron James’ teammate in Cleveland, Kevin Love won’t definitely mind serving as the Celtics’ third scoring option behind Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker. Meanwhile, in exchange for Love and absorbing Hayward’s contract, the Cavaliers will be receiving two future first-round picks that they could use to add young and promising talents to their roster. Hayward may no longer be the player that he used to be, but he could still serve as a great mentor to the Cavaliers’ young players like Cedi Osman, Collin Sexton, and Kevin Porter Jr.
