The NBA Draft passed without the Cavaliers making one of the blockbuster trades they’ve been rumored to be interested in, but the chatter hasn’t stopped. Though Jimmy Butler is no longer available, Paul George is still very much so, and Cleveland may be zeroing in on a partner willing to go in on a possible deal along with the Pacers.
According to a report from ESPN, the Denver Nuggets joined the discussions with Indiana and Cleveland this past week. Kevin Love, who has been mentioned in basically every trade rumor involving the Cavs this offseason, would be going to Denver in the reported deal, according to Marc Stein.
League sources: Cavs, Pacers and Nuggets have discussed a three-way deal that would land Paul George in Cleveland and Kevin Love in Denver
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) June 25, 2017
The 28-year-old Love is still an All-Star talent and had his best season with Cleveland thus far in 2016-17, averaging 19 points and 11.1 rebounds per game. He has two more years left on his deal and a player option after those years are completed.
The Nuggets have plenty of interesting pieces, including rising star Nikola Jokic, and went 40-42 last season. Adding a proven stud like Love could put them over the playoff hump if that’s the team’s goal, but it’d be interesting to see how Denver helps sweeten the deal in terms of assets heading to Indiana. Jokic and last year’s first-round pick Jamal Murray are untouchable according to the report, but young players like Gary Harris, Emmanuel Mudiay or Will Barton could interest Indiana. Kenneth Faried was specifically mentioned as a player who could be involved, but he would reportedly be headed to Cleveland, somewhat surprisingly.
One version of potential 3-team trade involving Cleveland, Indiana, Denver, Kenneth Faried would be Cavalier-bound, league sources tell ESPN
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 25, 2017
Faried’s minutes and production have both decreased in the past two seasons, and he dipped down to 9.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game last season. He has two years left on a deal that pays about $13 million per season.
The big story here is that Cleveland refuses to give up on its pursuit of improvement, even though they lack a general manager for the time being. The report from ESPN also said the Cavs would be a top contender for Carmelo Anthony should he be bought out by the Knicks, which is a possibility. As free agency begins next week, the cap-limited Cavaliers won’t be involved with any of the big name players available on the market, but don’t expect them to halt trade talks any time soon.