NBA Rumors: Warriors Could Explore Trading D’Angelo Russell For Kevin Love, ‘CBS Sports’ Suggests
The Golden State Warriors may have failed to re-sign Kevin Durant, but they didn’t lose him in the 2019 NBA free agency without getting anything in return. In a sign-and-trade deal that sent Durant to the Brooklyn Nets, the Warriors acquired All-Star point guard D’Angelo Russell. The arrival of Russell is expected to fill the void Durant left on the offensive end of the floor, but with the emergence of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in the Warriors backcourt, there is a huge question regarding his fit in Golden State.
Though he already inked a new contract, rumors continue to circulate that the Warriors will trade D’Angelo Russell once Klay Thompson fully recovers from an injury. According to a previous Inquisitr article, even Russell is aware of the possibility that his stint with the Warriors may not last long. If the Warriors are planning to trade Russell, Brad Botkin of CBS Sports suggested that they could target Kevin Love of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“If the Golden State Warriors end up moving D’Angelo Russell (who we’ll get to), Love would be a good positional fit next to Draymond Green and Kevon Looney, who could cover for his defensive weaknesses while Love at least somewhat replaces the lost Kevin Durant firepower.”
Kevin Love may not be on the level of Kevin Durant, but there is no doubt that he is a better fit for the Warriors than D’Angelo Russell. Love would give the Warriors an All-Star caliber big man who can play both the center and power forward positions and shoot the ball from the three-point range.
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. Though he has defensive issues, the Warriors could easily address Love’s weakness by pairing him with former Defensive Player of the Year Draymond Green.
The 2017 NBA All-Star Game was only two years ago, but 17 of the players in it have already switched teams.
The only players that are still with their team are:
Giannis, John Wall, Kyle Lowry, Kevin Love, Steph , Harden, Klay, and Draymond. pic.twitter.com/dy9d7TYFEB— SB Nation (@SBNation) July 12, 2019
Kevin Love may not have shown any sign that he’s planning to demand a trade from the Cavaliers, but most people still consider him as one of the NBA superstars who could be moved in the 2019 NBA offseason. At this point in his NBA career, Love would be better off playing for a legitimate title contender than staying on a rebuilding team like the Cavaliers.
Meanwhile, in exchange for Kevin Love, the Cavaliers would receive an All-Star caliber point guard that they could pair with Collin Sexton in their backcourt. Russell is only 23-years-old and could still be part of the Cavaliers’ rebuilding process. In Cleveland, Russell would be reuniting with his former Los Angeles Lakers teammates, Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr.
