The Cleveland Cavaliers have been very active in the trade market by all accounts, but a big question has been about Kevin Love's status. Some people have thought that he might be traded before the deadline, but it doesn't appear as though that will be the case. Despite the fact that Love will likely remain in Cleveland past the deadline, they still might look into trading him in the coming offseason, according to Bobby Marks of The Vertical.
Love's fit in Cleveland was a question mark last season, but he still decided to re-sign with the Cavs in the hopes that his role would increase in year two. Since Kyrie Irving has come back from injury, though, it has been more of the same for Love, as he is the third option and his numbers have plummeted. Love did sign a five-year deal with the Cavaliers last offseason and wants to stay. but it may not be the best thing for him or the team.
The Cavaliers want to take a shot at a title with a fully healthy team this year, so Love is most likely not going anywhere now, according to Erin Flynn of Sports Illustrated. Cleveland will likely use the last few months of the season to gauge whether Love fits in with the new coach, Tyronn Lue, and the system. If Love still doesn't seem like a fit after the Cavs playoff run, they will have the option of trading him in the offseason, and they should have no shortage of suitors.
Love, despite his numbers being down, is still averaging a double-double this season (15.7 ppg, 10.3 rpg), and the Cavs will likely get a lot of calls for the 27-year-old forward this summer. If the Cavaliers win a championship this season, they will likely keep the status quo, but if they fall short, they may be looking at big changes.
Since Lue took over, Love's numbers have been modest, to say the least, despite the fact that Lue said he wanted to get Love more involved on offense. These next few months are extremely important to Love's future with the Cavaliers, and the team's success (or lack thereof) could be the difference between whether he is traded in the offseason or not.
