The Cleveland Cavaliers were last in their conference despite having two former All-Stars in Kevin Love and Andre Drummond. Changes need to be made, and a lot of them could be through trade. Kevin Love in particular is a prime trade candidate; he is a player that still holds some value, and could be packaged to acquire a superstar. Love is a valuable player to have as a supporting player for a contender, due to his ability to space the floor at a high level.
Kevin Love could be packaged in a trade for a superstar. The Cavaliers have some solid young players which could be traded. A player who could impact the game more directly than Kevin Love could bring the Cavaliers to a good spot in the Eastern Conference. A shot creator like Russell Westbrook who can pass at a high level and score on top of that is a valuable player, and the Cavaliers could move to acquire the Rockets star. Westbrook is a former MVP who could bring more pace and dynamism to the Cavaliers. This is the trade that could transform the Cavaliers’ roster.
Cleveland Cavaliers Receive: Russell Westbrook
Houston Rockets Receive: Kevin Love, Darius Garland, two first-round picks
A New Big Three In The Eastern Conference
With the rise of young players like Collin Sexton and the presence of elite veterans like Andre Drummond, the Cavaliers could make some noise in a wide-open Eastern Conference. Adding Russell Westbrook to the Cavaliers would allow the former MVP to be on a team as the leading superstar again while having an elite supporting cast. Westbrook and Drummond could replicate a connection similar to the one Westbrook had with Steven Adams in OKC. Sexton serving as a secondary creator would be amazing as Westbrook could focus on facilitating while Sexton could be a pure scorer.
Russell Westbrook had an awful Orlando Bubble, but he is still an elite player. Westbrook averaged 27.2 PPG, 7.9 RPG, and 7.0 APG for the season. Those numbers are some of the best he’s ever had, and his lower rebounding and assists could be attributed to sharing the ball with James Harden. On the Cavaliers, Westbrook could still be capable of putting up the stat lines that we saw during his triple-double seasons. The Cavaliers could take a chance and trade for a volatile superstar, but the payoff could be enormous.
The Rockets Go From Small Ball To Big Ball
Everyone saw the success of the Lakers during the NBA bubble and their subsequent win of the championship. While the league is still shifting away from a traditional post-up big, someone like Anthony Davis could be beneficial in terms of being able to do everything on the court. Big men with guard skill sets like Anthony Davis or Giannis Antetokounmpo are extremely valuable. Love isn’t quite on the caliber of the other two players, but Love is a big man who can pass, shoot, and score. He isn’t the best inside defender, but his versatility is in being able to switch onto the perimeter.
In terms of chemistry, Kevin Love would also be a better complement to James Harden than Russell Westbrook as he wouldn’t dominate touches. That should allow the stars to play better together, and Love can be in a good role as a floor spacer who gets some post-ups ran for him. With this trade, Christian Wood would move to the SF position, and the Rockets would get a team full of skilled lengthy players who can all shoot the ball. Darius Garland and the first-round picks should also set them up nicely for the future. This trade could be a win for both sides if executed.
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