NBA Rumors: Wizards Could Trade Three Players And 1st-Round Pick For Kevin Love, ‘Bleacher Report’ Suggests
Since the 2019 NBA offseason started, the Washington Wizards have made it clear to everyone in the league that they have no intention of trading All-Star shooting guard Bradley Beal. The Wizards tried to stop the rumors surrounding Beal by offering him a three-year, $111 million massive contract extension. However, as of now, Beal remains undecided whether he will sign the contract extension or test the free agency market in the summer of 2021.
To strengthen their chance of convincing Bradley Beal to sign the contract extension, the Wizards should show him that they are serious about building a roster that can legitimately contend for the NBA championship title. In his recent article, Zack Buckley of Bleacher Report mentioned possible ways that the Wizards could give Beal some help in the 2019-20 NBA season and suggested Kevin Love of the Cleveland Cavaliers as one of the potential targets before the 2020 February NBA trade deadline.
In the proposed trade deal by Bleacher Report, the Wizards will be sending a trade package including Ian Mahinmi, C.J. Miles, Jemerrio Jones, and a top-20 protected 2020 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 could help both NBA teams improve their roster.
“Behind closed doors, though, the Cavs might be overjoyed with this outcome. Love’s remaining four years and $120.4 million have all the makings of an albatross contract. This would erase it from the books with nary a penny of long-term salary coming back. Miles and Ian Mahinmi are both on expiring deals, and Jemerrio Jones’ pact is only partially guaranteed. Washington would probably push to make this selection a second-rounder, but Cleveland would hold out for a first, knowing cap space doesn’t mean much at this stage of its rebuild.”
Kevin Love would undeniably be an incredible addition to the Wizards, giving them an All-Star caliber big man who can knock down shots from the three-point range. Last season, the 31-year-old power forward averaged 17.0 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while shooting 38.5 percent from the field and 36.1 percent from beyond the arc. After spending three years with Kyrie Irving and LeBron James in Cleveland, Love won’t have a hard time making himself fit as Bradley Beal’s sidekick in Washington.
Once John Wall returns from injury and immediately regains his All-Star form, the Wizards would be having a legitimate “Big Three” that could boost their chance of fully dominating the Eastern Conference and winning an NBA championship title. As of now, Kevin Love hasn’t shown any indication that he wants out of Cleveland. However, at this point in his NBA career, most people believe that it will be best for him to be traded to a playoff contender than waste his prime on a rebuilding team like the Cavaliers. If the Cavaliers struggle early in the 2019-20 NBA season, expect rumors surrounding Love to heat up before the 2020 February NBA trade deadline.
