NBA Trade Rumors: Boston Celtics Acquiring Kevin Love Without New York Knicks

NBA trade rumors involving the Boston Celtics targeting Kevin Love have been going on for a very long time. It looks like it might finally happen. Thanks to the Cleveland Cavaliers being heavily interested in Ryan Anderson, and the New Orleans Pelicans wanting more assets, According to Yahoo! Sports, Celtics president Danny Ainge is hatching a plan that will enable him to finally snag the big star that his team needs.

Initially, Danny Ainge was trying to convince the New York Knicks to send Carmelo Anthony, their franchise player, to the Cleveland Cavaliers so that he can join forces with Kyrie Irving and LeBron James in an attempt to beat Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors in a potential rematch during the NBA Finals. However, the Cavaliers weren’t all on board with that trade because there were concerns that Anthony would not be able to fit in well with two other stars on offense.

The Boston Celtics are 32-23 in the standings right now, which makes them third in the Eastern Conference behind the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors. Based on predictions made before the season, the Celtics are overachieving as a team. The reason why they have been doing so well is because Danny Ainge has collected a very good group of role players who understand what they need to do for the team to win.

To lead those fantastic role players, Danny Ainge and the Boston Celtics need a superstar. Kevin Love was one of the best players in the NBA before he became a role player alongside Kyrie Irving and LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers. Love routinely would put up more than 20 points and 10 rebounds when he was the franchise player for the Minnesota Timberwolves during the first several years of his career in the NBA.

If the Boston Celtics were to acquire Kevin Love, they would make him their starting power forward. Jared Sullinger can do all of the dirty work inside as the starting center. At 6’9?, 260 pounds, Sullinger has the size needed to do battle, while Love focuses on carrying the offensive load alongside Isaiah Thomas, who made the All Star team for the very first time this season.

The Boston Celtics have plenty of draft choices to throw around. That’s appealing to the New Orleans Pelicans, who have traded away several picks over the years. With Isaiah Thomas, Marcus Smart, Avery Bradley and Evan Turner on the roster, the Celtics have enviable depth in the back court, so it wouldn’t be a shock if one of them were thrown into the trade to entice the Pelicans to pull the trigger.

If the Cleveland Cavaliers were to make this trade, then Ryan Anderson would be a cheaper version of Kevin Love. He is a stretch forward as well, but he’s more willing to be a role player. That’s something that Love has struggled to cope with. Kevin wants to do more than just stand at the three point line and wait for Kyrie Irving to pass him the ball. With the Boston Celtics, Love would get plenty of opportunities to try to score from the low post.

Kevin Love made the decision to leave the Minnesota Timberwolves because the team was not able to surround him with a cast that can compete for the NBA Championship. That’s why he joined up with two other superstars on the Cleveland Cavaliers. Going to the Boston Celtics will enable him to compete and be a franchise player again.