Cleveland Cavaliers

There is reportedly "dissonance" around the NBA regarding the trade value of Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love, according to ESPN's Zach Lowe.

Lowe and Adrian Wojnarowski discussed the Love situation on their trade-season special Sunday night. 

"I think you're looking at a marketplace where they'll probably get a protected first-round pick and maybe an expiring contract and then maybe a throw-in player," Wojnarowski said, per RealGM.

Lowe noted the Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns are among the most likely teams to express interest. The Blazers have been searching for answers as they struggle to stay alive in the Western Conference playoff race, while the Suns' surprisingly competent start has them thinking about potential moves for veterans to fortify their roster.

Love and the Cavaliers would likely prefer to get a trade done before the Feb. 6 deadline. Cleveland is 6-20, and Love has become more vocal about his frustration with the franchise's struggles.

"Just complete and utter frustration," Love told cleveland.com's Chris Fedor earlier this month. "I think that's natural. I really want to compete. I think most guys want to compete. Just really, really frustrated. I don't know. Getting myself going is just ... I don't know what else I can do."

The Cavs signed love to a four-year, $120.4 million contract extension in July 2018, just a few weeks after LeBron James' departure for Los Angeles. At the time, the move seemed to be both a pledge of loyalty and an act of practicality from both sides. Love probably wasn't getting $120 million elsewhere, and the Cavs were afforded time to either build a competitive team or explore the veteran's trade market.

Now that contract has become perhaps the biggest impediment to any Love trade. Paying an average of more than $30 million for this version of Love—a good-but-unspectacular forward who is best suited for a role as the third or fourth best player on a title team—is feasible for only a handful of squads. That's what makes him attractive to the likes of Portland and Phoenix, with the former desperate to save its season and the latter for relevance.

Love's salary also probably takes him out of consideration for a team like the Houston Rockets, who could use another star next to James Harden and Russell Westbrook but are too top-heavy in salary to have much flexibility. Houston may also want to prioritize a perimeter defensive presence given the team's lack of depth on the wing, something Love does not provide. 

NBA Champion, co-host of the “Talking Blazers” podcast, and co-host of “Handles” on NBA TV, Channing Frye, joins “The Full 48 with Howard Beck” to discuss the Portland Trail Blazers, trading Damian Lillard and/or CJ McCollum, James Harden, Andre Iguodala, Kevin Love, and the Buffet Of Goodness.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are likely sellers this season as they continue to rebuild in the post-LeBron James years, and one obvious trade chip is veteran power forward Kevin Love.

But moving Love may not be as fruitful as the Cavaliers hope. Jason Lloyd of The Athletic reported: "The Cavs are asking for a first-round pick in exchange for Love, one source with knowledge of the situation said. But teams are actually asking for a first-round pick from Cleveland just to absorb the final three-and-a-half years on his deal."

Love is in the first year of a four-year, $120 million contract that will run through his age-34 season. That's a hefty salary to pay for a player who is beginning to show signs of decline.

The veteran power forward is still an effective player, averaging 15.7 points and 10.5 rebounds while shooting 43.8 percent from the field and 35.4 percent from three. He'd be a solid addition to most contenders given his ability to handle the stretch-4 role and crash the boards.

Lloyd reported, "One league executive, whose team has not discussed a Love deal with the Cavs, believes they may eventually be able to get a first-round pick for him, depending on how much salary the Cavs are willing to take back."

Lloyd pointed out another factor to consider: Oklahoma City's Danilo Gallinari would offer a similar impact, is making $6 million less than Love this season and is on an expiring contract.

Add it all up, and it can be difficult to find a natural suitor for Love. Portland is often cited as a possibility, given that he grew up in Oregon, but the Trail Blazers have Carmelo Anthony at the 4, where he's been playing well.

Lloyd listed Boston and Dallas as logical suitors as well. But to make the money work, Boston would likely have to move Gordon Hayward (17.4 PPG, 6.3 RPG), who has been very good this season.

The Mavericks would have a fun frontcourt and scary offense by adding Love. But would they be willing to move Tim Hardaway Jr. and one of Dwight Powell, Seth Curry or Delon Wright to make the money work, all while potentially trading a first-round pick?

The more logical suitors might be teams on the fringes of the playoff conversation looking to add another star player to get them over the hump. Phoenix would make some sense and could offer Tyler Johnson ($19.2 million), Frank Kaminsky ($4.7 million) and draft assets to make the deal work.

Washington is another fun possibility. While the Wizards defense would be poor, the team would be a blast to watch on offense, and it could move off Ian Mahinmi ($23.7 million), C.J. Miles ($8.3 million) and draft assets.

Again, though, those teams may prefer Gallinari. In fact, Cleveland may not get much traction on a Love deal until Gallo is traded (if the Thunder shop him, as expected). It will be a fascinating situation to monitor leading up to February's trade deadline.

Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love would reportedly "prefer" a move to the Portland Trail Blazers if he's dealt before the 2020 NBA trade deadline in February.

Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer reported Tuesday the Blazers are seeking frontcourt reinforcements after injuries to Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins but could face competition for Love from the Denver Nuggets.

Portland has been one of the season's biggest disappointments so far with a 9-15 record after being expected to contend in the loaded Western Conference. The team finished last season with a 53-29 mark, which earned the No. 3 seed in the West.

The backcourt duo of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum has continued to shine, but the absence of Nurkic and Collins has created a lack of depth. A more recent season-ending Achilles injury to Rodney Hood has only further exasperated the problem.

Although 10-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony has provided an offensive spark since his signing in mid-November, the wing player is a defensive liability and won't alone solve the Blazers' problems.

Love could bring another proven commodity to Portland. The 6'8", 251-pound forward has averaged 15.6 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 19 appearances for the Cavs this season.

With Cleveland standing at 5-18, moving the 31-year-old UCLA product for future assets seems like a no-brainer. Love told ESPN's Tim Bontemps he's enjoyed his time with the team, but he's aware of the situation.

"I imagine, in a rebuild, it's easy to look at it, especially when it's down and out at this point and say, 'Hey, we want to completely reset the deck and go young,'" he said Monday. "I understand that."

Another potential target for the Blazers is Oklahoma City Thunder forward Danilo Gallinari, per O'Connor.

Meanwhile, the Nuggets offense has lagged this season in large part because center Nikola Jokic, a career 51.9 percent shooter, is only shooting 46.5 percent from the field this season. Adding a player like stretch 4 like Love next to him could help spread the defense.

Interest from multiple teams should help Cleveland increase its asking price.

Kevin Love is used to trade rumors.

After ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Friday the Cleveland Cavaliers "are expressing a willingness to listen to offers" for Love, the Cavs' five-time All-Star forward told ESPN's Tim Bontemps on Monday morning:

"Nothing's changed. What I mean by that is, since I got here they've been ... since I f--king got here, there's been talk of me being traded, so it's nothing different. If they decide to go that way, I've just got to know it's part of the business, or if we decide to go that way, it's part of the business.

"Truthfully, I don't know how it's going to play out, because I see both sides."

Love added: "I imagine, in a rebuild, it's easy to look at it, especially when it's down and out at this point, and say, 'Hey, we want to completely reset the deck and go young.' I understand that."

The Cavaliers are 5-17 and have lost six straight ahead of their matchup at the 16-5 Boston Celtics on Monday night.

According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, Love "prefers a move to a contending team."

Love and Tristan Thompson are the only players that have remained in Cleveland since the 2015-16 team won the NBA championship. Love is also the oldest player on the roster.

The 31-year-old is averaging 16.1 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 30.4 minutes across 18 games after being limited to only 22 appearances in 2018-19 because of a toe injury.

Love can still provide plenty of value to a team that needs bolstering to challenge the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers of the world.

The 5-17 Cleveland Cavaliers will likely be sellers before February's NBA trade deadline, and one player who should attract interest is veteran big man Kevin Love. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Love "prefers a move to a contending team."

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Friday that Cleveland is "expressing a willingness to listen to offers" for Love.

Per Wojnarowski, Cleveland is "open to the idea of moving Love before the Feb. 6 trade deadline should the Cavaliers find a requisite package of young assets and/or future draft picks."

The 31-year-old is averaging 16.1 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, shooting 44 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from three. He remains an elite rebounder who can operate as a stretch 4 with his excellent shooting, offering valuable floor spacing as a big man. He also brings championship experience to the table.

On the other hand, acquiring him means absorbing the three years and $91.5 million he's due after this season—a contract that may not age well.

He also isn't a particularly impactful defensive player. He's tied for 220th in the NBA in defensive win shares (0.060). The issue for Love is often one of position. Against more athletic 4s or wings, he doesn't have the athleticism to keep them from getting to their spots. Against more physical centers, he can get beat up down low.

But as the third star on a contender, Love's rebounding and scoring would be an asset. Teams that are a piece away from being a title hopeful—think the Miami Heat—or squads that hope to solidify their places in the postseason—such as the Phoenix Suns or the struggling Portland Trail Blazers—could be intriguing fits.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are open to trade offers for big man Kevin Love, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

"I'm told that Cleveland is ready now to listen to offers on Kevin Love as we get to that December 15 date and then the February trade deadline," Wojnarowski said on ESPN's NBA Countdown on Friday.

He added: "He's going to be a player very much in demand, and I think there's going to be a lot of conversations between Cleveland and teams all over the league about Love."

Dec. 15 marks the first day when players who signed free-agent contracts in the offseason can be traded. The trade deadline is 3 p.m. ET on Feb. 6.

Love, 31, is averaging 16.7 points and 10.7 rebounds for the rebuilding Cavaliers, who are 5-15 and third-last in the Eastern Conference. In 2018, he signed a four-year, $120.4 million contract extension with the Cavs through 2022-23.

He spoke about the persistent trade rumors to Arash Markazi of the Los Angeles Times in an interview published Nov. 16:

"I know there's talk about me possibly being the missing piece somewhere. There's been constant chatter since I signed that I could be traded. It's one of those things where I'm going to keep doing right by the team, by Cleveland and by the organization. If my number is called, so be it, but I'm going to stay true to my commitment and let the chips fall where they may."

The topic also came up in a conversation with Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press on Nov. 26.

"This is a league where teams want to rebuild, teams want to go young, but certain teams are looking for a piece, a guy who's played in the Finals, a guy who has playoff experience," Love said. "I don't know what's going to happen, but I think it definitely lessens the burden and the anxiety."

Wojnarowski noted that "there are a lot of teams, especially, in the West, who would like more size to get in that championship chase." He referenced the Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers as teams who have expressed interest in the past.

A Love trade seems probable with the young Cavs well out of the playoff picture. He is ready to be a piece on a contending team now, and signs indicate he'll be dealt before the February trade deadline.

Multiple members of the Cleveland Cavaliers roster reportedly believe head coach John Beilein, who spent over four decades coaching at the collegiate level, isn't prepared to handle NBA players.

Joe Vardon and Shams Charania of The Athletic provided comments from several anonymous players Friday amid a then-four-game losing streak that had dropped the Cavs' record to 5-15.

"Guys drowned out his voice, and when guys start searching for the next in line for help, I believe you've lost them," one player said.

Another noted they've looked toward assistant coach J.B. Bickerstaff for leadership: "Our assistants are definitely more prepared for the NBA."

The players' issues with Beilein's coaching include too much time spent on teaching fundamentals, extended video sessions and a "broader lack of understanding of the NBA game," per Vardon and Charania.

"The little things become big things, and sometimes very big things," a Cavs player said.

Another member of the team argued the team's poor performance can't rest solely on the coach, though.

"At the same time, I think the players are the reasons things are happening the way they are," the player told The Athletic. "Coaching can't fix 20- and 30-point blowouts."

Beilein responded to the report prior to Friday night's loss to the Orlando Magic. 

"We've met ... and it's like, 'Coach, keep doing what you're doing because we really need this. We need accountability, we need to play harder, stronger, tougher. Don't stop what you're doing,'" Beilein told reporters, according to ESPN.com. "We were the worst defensive team in the NBA last year. What do we do, practice less?

"I have a lot of confidence the guys in the locker room are on board, and they've told me that.''

The Cavaliers are in the middle of a rebuild but got off to a modest 4-5 start under Beilein, who was hired away from the University of Michigan in May.

They've fallen apart since that point, however, with 11 losses in their past 12 games.

"I can't tell you when it's going to happen. All I know is I'm not flinching," Beilein told reporters Tuesday about turning things around. "We will just keep working really hard at growing the team with every practice, with every film session, with every weight training session."

Meanwhile, Bickerstaff has been coaching at the NBA level since 2004, including stints as head coach of the Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies.

Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson entered the NBA together in 2011 and proceeded to spend six seasons as teammates on the Cleveland Cavaliers. As a result, the two have gotten to know each other through the years.

Following multiple reports criticizing Irving's demeanor and the effect it has on his teammates, Thompson had a little fun with the situation.

"He's a piece of s--t—no, I'm joking," Thompson told The Athletic's Joe Vardon for an article in the aftermath of Wednesday's game between Irving's Brooklyn Nets and his former team the Boston Celtics. The Celtics won 121-110, and Irving's replacement in Boston, Kemba Walker, scored 39 points while Irving sat out with a shoulder injury.

After cracking that joke, Thompson went on to reveal that he remains friends with Irving even after the guard forced his way out of Cleveland in 2017.

"I see him in the summertime," Thompson added to Vardon. "We hang out. Have some tequila. We're still close, even still today. Me and him are brothers beyond basketball and still are today. Do I wish he was still here? Of course. I'd be lying if I told you I didn't. He's Kyrie Irving, one of the top 10 players in our league."

Irving and Thompson were part of a Cavs squad that reaching three consecutive NBA Finals from 2015 to 2017, winning the franchise's first-ever championship in 2016. 

Since being traded to the Boston Celtics and later signing with the Brooklyn Nets, Irving has been heavily scrutinized off the court. In October, ESPN's Jackie MacMullan reported that Irving's "infamous mood swings...are the unspoken concern that makes Nets officials queasy."

Irving has been sidelined the past seven games with his shoulder injury.

Kyrie Irving was not in Cleveland on Monday because of a right shoulder injury as his Brooklyn Nets defeated the Cavaliers 108-106, but that didn't stop his former teammates from discussing the six-time All-Star.

After all, Cleveland selected Irving with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2011 NBA draft, and he became the face of the franchise after LeBron James departed for the Miami Heat. When James returned, Irving helped lead the Cavaliers to three straight NBA Finals appearances and drilled the winning three-pointer in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals against the mighty Golden State Warriors.

"See that banner right there? That's what he means to the franchise," Tristan Thompson said of Irving, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. "Being No. 1 pick, came in with a lot of expectations and he surpassed them all. Being an All-Star, All-Star Game MVP, World Championship gold medalist, Olympic gold medalist, made a crucial step-back from the right wing in Game 7, Rookie of the Year, it's a lot."

Thompson also predicted Irving's jersey will eventually be retired in Cleveland, while Kevin Love opened up about the positive experiences he had while playing alongside the Duke product.

That Thompson and Love were so adamant Irving was a good teammate is notable considering the narrative regarding his time with the Boston Celtics in 2017-18 and 2018-19.

Fedor noted Irving has "been called moody, tough to coach and immature," while one former Celtics teammate said he was "hard to play with." The report even suggested Irving "was said to have taken the air out of the Boston locker room."

In October, Jackie MacMullan of ESPN.com reported "Irving's infamous mood swings, confirmed by his ex-teammates, which followed him from Cleveland to Boston to Brooklyn, are the unspoken concern that makes Nets officials queasy."

Brooklyn is 5-1 without him in the last six games.

Still, Thompson didn't want to hear any of it when it came to his former point guard:

"My brother. Great teammate. At the end of the day, if I'm going to go to war, need a dog, an MF that can go and hoop I'm definitely going to put him on my team. I mean, the chatter is for you guys to talk about. Teams lose a couple of games and they say the same things about us—what's going on and blah blah blah. It's just chatter. At the end of the day, when that untucked Kyrie jersey is out everyone is scared."

It's hard to argue with what Irving did in Cleveland.

Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star forward Kevin Love won't play Monday night against the New York Knicks because of back tightness following the team's 114-95 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, according to Fox Sports Ohio's Angel Gray.

Love injured himself after falling down during the Sixers: 

However, the 31-year-old told reporters that he expected a different part of his body to feel sore as a result:

This season, Love has appeared in 12 games and averaged 18.2 points, 12.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists for the 4-8 Cavaliers.

Love was in and out of the Cavaliers lineup last season. After playing just four games, he required toe surgery on his left foot on Nov. 2. The then-30-year-old didn't rush back to the court, finally returning to action on Feb. 8. 

Love was sidelined again with left shoulder soreness on March 30, per Joe Gabriele of Cavs.com. 

Overall, Love appeared in 22 games for the 19-63 Cavs last season, averaging 17 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists.

It marked the fewest games Love had played in a season since undergoing season-ending knee surgery during the 2012-13 season. The 12-year pro suffered a dislocated shoulder during the Cavs' 2015 postseason run that required surgery.

Rookie first-round pick Kevin Porter Jr. will start against the Knicks in Love's place, per Gray. It will be the 19-year-old's first NBA start. The USC product has appeared in 11 games for the Cavs, averaging 6.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists across 18.9 minutes.