In the past few months, Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love ‘s name has continued to surface in various trade rumors . As the Cavs continue to struggle this season, rumors are continuously circulating that the team will move Love before the trade deadline. One of the NBA teams who may consider trading for Love is the Philadelphia 76ers .
In his recent article, Jonathan Soveta of The Score mentioned the 76ers as one of the potential landing spots for Love. The Sixers may currently have Al Horford as Joel Embiid’s frontcourt partner, but since he arrived in the City of Brotherly Love, the 33-year-old big man has yet to live up to expectations from the four-year, $109 million contract he signed in free agency. Though he has defensive issues, Soveta believes that trading Horford for Love would give the Sixers the boost they badly need on the offensive end of the floor.
“Love isn’t anywhere near the defender Horford is, but the 76ers, who rank 23rd in 3-pointers made per game, could desperately use his ability to stretch the floor. The drawback is trading away a marquee player just months after signing him would drastically hurt the perception of the franchise as a free-agent destination, but with ‘The Process’ now long over, it’s a risk the 76ers need to take.”
In the proposed trade deal by The Score , the 76ers would be sending a trade package including Horford and their own 2024 first-round pick to the Cavaliers in exchange for Love. The deal works on ESPN ‘s NBA Trade Machine. If the trade becomes a reality, it would help both teams in filling up the needs to improve on their roster.
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Love would be an incredible addition to the 76ers, allowing them to replace Horford with a younger All-Star-caliber talent with plenty of championship experience. Aside from being a reliable scoring option, Love is also a great rebounder, facilitator, and floor-spacer. This season, the 31-year-old power forward is averaging 16.4 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists, while shooting 44.7 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from beyond the arc.
With the years he spent with Kyrie Irving and LeBron James in Cleveland, Love wouldn’t have a hard time making himself fit alongside ball-dominant superstars like Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons in Philadelphia.
Meanwhile, the potential deal won’t help the Cavaliers open up salary cap space, but swapping Love for Horford may be more beneficial for their rebuilding plans. As Soveta noted, Horford would give the Cavaliers a “well-respected veteran who can soothe a rocky locker room held together by a first-year coach.” Also, in the potential deal, the Cavaliers would acquire a future first-round pick that would allow them to add another young and promising talent on their roster.
