When Paul George and Russell Westbrook started to show good chemistry during the regular season, most people thought that the Oklahoma City Thunder were finally ready to conquer the Western Conference and contend for the NBA championship title. Unfortunately, George and Westbrook failed to bring the same intensity in the postseason, resulting in the Thunder suffering another first-round exit for the third straight year.
If they want to change the narrative in the 2019-20 NBA season, the Thunder obviously need to add another superstar that could complement Russell Westbrook and Paul George. According to Jordan Zirm of Uproxx , one of the NBA superstars that the Thunder could target on the trade market this summer is Kevin Love of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“A team with Russell Westbrook and Paul George shouldn’t be bowing out of the playoffs in the first round, but that’s what happened to the Thunder in the last two postseasons. Love not only adds a presence to play through in the post and stellar passing ability, but his ability to step out and hit the three would give Westbrook and George the spacing they desperately need to operate at full capacity.”
Kevin Love will undeniably be an incredible addition to the Thunder, giving them an All-Star caliber big man who perfectly knows how to efficiently play with other NBA superstars. With the three years he spent playing alongside LeBron James and Kyrie Irving in Cleveland, Love won’t have a hard time making himself fit as the Thunder’s third scoring option behind Paul George and Russell Westbrook.
Despite his defensive issues, Kevin Love would still be a major upgrade to the Thunder’s frontcourt. His ability to space the floor will make it easier for Paul George and Russell Westbrook to penetrate the opposing team’s defense. 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.
Kevin Love Says LeBron Can Take Lakers to NBA Finals If … https://t.co/UCyQCdNiW4
— TMZ (@TMZ) June 8, 2019
In the proposed trade deal by Uproxx , the Thunder will be sending a trade package including Steven Adams, Terrance Ferguson, and Hamidou Diallo to the Cavaliers in exchange for Kevin Love. As Zirm noted, the deal would not only be beneficial for the Thunder but also for the Cavaliers. In exchange for Love, the Cavaliers will be receiving two young and promising talents, Ferguson and Diallo, that fit well with the timeline of Collin Sexton.
Steven Adams may already be considered a veteran, but he’s only 25 and could still be part of the Cavaliers’ long-term plan. However, without the inclusion of future draft picks, it remains unknown if the suggested offer would be enough to convince the Cavaliers to send Love to Oklahoma City. Also, as of now, the Cavaliers haven’t shown any intention that they are planning to make Love available on the trading block in the 2019 NBA offseason.
