Despite being a hard worker during Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals series, the Cleveland Cavaliers might trade away Kevin Love. As noted by new rumors, the Cavs could end up getting Carmelo Anthony from the New York Knicks in exchange for the power forward.
Love certainly proved his value to Cleveland after scoring 9 points and securing 14 rebounds in Game 7 against the Golden State Warriors. However, despite his hard work, he is considerably the weakest link in the team, at least among the starters. Fans might remember that the Cavs were able to secure their first win in the series in when Love missed Game 3 after he was placed under concussion protocol.
Because of this, the team might be considering trading him for another player that's more reliable and valuable on the court. Of course, this could be part of the team's strategy of building a stronger roster in preparation for the 2016-2017 season.
Although there have been various players linked to trades with the Cavs, one of the names that stood out was Anthony's, Hof Mag reported. Based on his stats alone, Anthony can be a valuable addition to the Cavs' lineup. Last season, he averaged 21 points per game. Surrounding him with other key players such as LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and J.R. Smith will certainly allow Cleveland to build a powerful offensive-defensive team.
Another factor that points to Anthony's success in Cleveland is his close relationship with some of the Cavs' players. In fact, during the finals, he expressed support for the Cavs through his former Knicks teammates Smith and Iman Shumpert.
"I heard from him, he's excited for us," Smith said according to Dunk 360. "He's excited for us. I talked to him for a while. I can't say everything he said, I'd probably get fined. It was a great conversation."
"Melo's texted us throughout the playoffs," Shumpert added. "He's always a supporter. I can always lean on him if I have any questions about the game. He's a huge basketball guy, always watching, always trying to learn from us, and we're always going to take advice from him."
