If the rumors are to be believed then the Cavs are seriously considering including #1 pick Andrew Wiggins in a deal for Kevin Love. My question is if you were the Cavs who would make a better trade target Kevin Love or Lamarcus Aldridge? Personally, I am torn here Lamarcus is older than Love and is not as efficient offensively as Love but he is more athletic and a better defensive fit. LA can stretch the court and if he can his mid range jumper with more consistency not being the first option he could certainly see his FG% rise to similar levels to those of Bosh. Love's added range and work in the paint make him arguably the best offensive player Lebron has ever played with. However, Love is a mess defensively and has not shown an ability to make those around him better consistently. Furthermore, Love has not been able to stay healthy throughout his career and pairing him with someone like Irving who has struggled to maintain his health as well could be a disaster. On the other hand, LA has experienced a few dings of his own over the past few years and as he gets older the risk of injury is sure to rise. Contract wise both players can be free agents this year, the main difference is Love has a player option giving the team control for 2 seasons, equal to the time the team has Lebron guaranteed for. Whereas LA could leave Cleveland high and dry this summer. If I am Cleveland, I am going for Love. I hate the idea of giving up Wiggins and am scared to death of Love's injury history and terrible defense. However, his offensive ability and rebounding are among the leagues best and the ability to lock him up for an extra year makes the gamble a little easier to swallow. Furthermore, Love's age provides a better chance at longevity if the deal works out. Mostly, I am going for Love because it seems that he is guy Lebron wants on the team. What do you do if you're running the Cavs?
Cleveland would be fucking insane to let the LBJ jr, learn from who he's supposed to be like. It's an opportunity of a lifetime
Let what bake? LeBron didn't go to Cleveland to let anything bake. He wants to win immediately and I'm sure Cleveland will do everything to make that happen now.
after getting ass whipped by the Spurs Lebron saw the likelihood of winning in Miami as not so good - that is why he left IMO
No. Irving is going to be more reliable than wade, and love will be his bosh with better role players already in Cleveland. Mike miller wouldn't turn down more money for a let it bake process. They are going to compete this year.
If Wiggins were a great shooter, I would think about it. But right now in SL he looks like a better version of Rudy Gay coming out of college. Amazing athleticism, but crazy raw on offense.
There were a lot of other options for LeBron if winning immediately was his main objective. Setting up a a "dynasty" in Cleveland seems like a smarter goal. I think Wiggins gives Cleveland more versatility, especially since LeBron can log minutes at PF as well as SF. I think the smart long term move would be to keep Wiggins.
They are going to compete, but I don't think LeBron is demanding that they do so, or mandating moves for big names like Love. IMO, with Kyrie already there, bringing in a third big-time scorer will result in diminishing returns on both Love and Irving; that is to say, they will be less productive overall than people will be expecting, similar to the way Bosh's stats took a hit, as did Lebron's in year 1. As a trio, the "big three" never averaged 71 ppg combined. There's an upper limit to how much 3 teammates can score. Lebron/Kyrie/Waiters will likely put up 65 combined, without bringing in Love. All trading for him will do will take points away from other players, while sacrificing the defense and long-term growth that Wiggins provides.
Two year contract is so he can re-up with a bigger max after the salary cap jumps when the NBA strikes a new TV deal.
If I were Cleveland, I'd trade Wiggins. Yes, Wiggins may turn out to be very good. (But he's about as much "the next LeBron James" as Harold Miner was the next Jordan.) He may even turn out to be better than Love. (I happen to think that wouldn't be all that hard.) But you've got LeBron James. That was your huge piece of luck. Now you make the most out of that. You can keep planning for the future or you can win a championship now. Boston were laughed at for trading a high draft pick for an already over-the-hill Ray Allen, but that was the first step in making them relevant for the first time in years. Who cares if you're really good but not quite good enough for a long period? Better to burn out than to fade away. Imagine if Detroit had traded the pick that became Darko for a really solid player, a top 15 in the NBA player (and Darko was a pick in a much better draft). They could've won three.
Cavs should offer up Wiggins IF they can get Love. Aldridge is not in this picture at all and wouldn't be the same fit with Cavs. Irving - Waiters - LJ - Love - Varejao makes a very very good lineup. One that can go deep in the East IMO. Wiggins, although a very good draftee, and prospect, isn't ready for NBA playoff basketball this year or next - in the same way that Love would be. For me, it's a no-brainer, you make the trade if you can.
One more point: people are acting like keeping Wiggins is the safe option, like he's a sure thing. There is no such thing as a sure thing. You're gambling whatever you do. Gamble with the side that LeBron wants, and that turns you into a championship contender RIGHT NOW.
