The Brooklyn Nets have assembled a superteam that is one of the biggest contenders for the title this season. A team with three superstar players in James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving is bound to generate some attention. As they are a contender, there have constantly been talks of adding another piece to the roster. While the Brooklyn Nets probably don’t need to change anything, they could elect to do so if they feel like it helps their chances of winning the Finals. More talent could always tip the scales in the NBA, and even with their current roster, there are surely ways to improve.
Recently, there have been rumors that the Nets have been interested in former All-Star, Kevin Love. Kevin Love was notably part of the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers championship run with LeBron James. Evan Dammarell talks about the situation:
I’ll just say the Nets probably are interested in Kevin Love.
But financially it’s very hard to make it work.
They can absorb McGee with their new extension instead if they really wanted to.
— Evan Dammarell (@AmNotEvan) January 25, 2021
The potential trade package for Kevin Love could look something like this:
Brooklyn Nets Receive: Kevin Love
Cleveland Cavaliers Receive: DeAndre Jordan, Joe Harris, Jeff Green, and Landry Shamet
The Trade Is Difficult To Pull Off
Dammarell makes it clear that it is hard financially for the Brooklyn Nets to acquire Love. Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype detailed why a trade would be difficult. The Brooklyn Nets are not going to trade away any member of the big three that they have: that means that they would trade other members of the roster. With the large superstar contracts already on the salary roll, it will be hard to add Love to the roster as he gets paid $31,258,256 million dollars this season. Dammarell also states that JaVale McGee is a possibility as his salary is more affordable, and seems like a better add.
Joe Harris is playing well and spacing the floor: it would be strange to send him away, especially since he just signed an extension in the offseason. DeAndre Jordan would have to be part of the package, but Kalbrosky mentions that Jordan provides a good positional fit, and is close with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. That makes him unlikely to get traded. The other significant contract left is Spencer Dinwiddie, but he is out for the season, so he probably will stay put in Brooklyn.
The Trade Itself Is Extremely Risky
While Kevin Love would be an elite addition to any team due to his ability to shoot as a big man and due to his championship experience it would be hard for him to be traded to the Brooklyn Nets. Trading for Love would get rid of any depth that the Brooklyn Nets currently have, as they would have to send out multiple players to match salaries for Kevin Love’s contract. Championships are won by a team effort: there are many instances in NBA history where it is an elite role player that makes a winning play at the end of the game: Steve Kerr and Robert Horry are two famous examples.
Kevin Love would increase the talent level in the starting lineup, but it’s hard to see the Nets gutting their already thin depth to become more top-heavy. A single injury could derail their entire season in that eventuality, and obviously, the front office wouldn’t want that. Kevin Love will most likely not be going to the Brooklyn Nets via trade, due to the various financial and on-court factors that come into play.
