With the return of LeBron James to Cleveland, a great deal of speculation has been going around the sports networks. Specifically, in regards to whether Cleveland will make a move to acquire Kevin Love. Furthermore, whether or not Cleveland will pursue Kevin Love at the expense of their recent first overall draft pick, Andrew Wiggins, aka Maple Jordan. Now, league sources have confirmed that the Cavs have made the decision that they are willing to deal Wiggins for Love, showing that for the Cavs, longevity isn’t really their goal. They want a championship, and they want it now. There’s no question that an Irving, James, and Love Big-3 would be just about the most exciting and dangerous Big-3 in the league, but does that really guarantee a championship? And furthermore, should anybody be giving up Wiggins for anyone, ever?
There’s no guaranteeing that Wiggins is going to be as good as he has shown himself to have the potential to be. Just look at Anthony Bennett, last year’s first overall draft pick. Also drafted by Cleveland, Bennett came into the league last summer with very high expectations. Those expectations were not met, by any means. This year was terrible for him, and because his performance was subpar, at best, he saw barely any playing time. That being said, this was his rookie season; not every great player makes a splash their rookie year. But, most do. And the fact is that Bennett’s value is very very low. Could the same thing happen to Wiggins? Based on how he’s playing in this year’s summer league, odds are the answer is No. Just look at this highlight; Wiggins throws down a 360-reverse behind the back dunk. It’s unbelievable, and though it’s only him during warmups, during the summer league, he’s been compiling a highlight list that’s already pretty impressive.
When it comes to Kevin Love, we don’t need a highlight reel. Love’s been in the league since the 2008 draft, and every season he’s had has been good. Love is a 3-time All Star, and is a double-double machine. His ability to play the 4-stretch-5 position allows for both small-ball and big-ball lineups, and he can give you a solid 40-45 minutes per game. Nobody denies that Kevin Love would be a fantastic addition to Cleveland. But how long will all three of those players stay with Cleveland on short-term contracts? LeBron has signed a 2-year deal with an opt-out clause after a single year to see what will happen with the salary cap increase. Love will likely structure his deal similarly. But, regardless, the question really comes down to whether Minnesota would be willing to do a straight 1-1 trade for Wiggins. Love commands a great deal of value, and the question remains regarding if Cleveland is willing to give up it’s upcoming first-round draft picks to sweeten the deal for Minnesota. It’s clear that Cleveland is abandoning their goals of trying to acquire Love while keeping Wiggins, but, is their short-term success worth sacrificing long-term dominance? Personally, I say no.
from Douglas MacFaddin’s Sports Page http://ift.tt/1nTWp3j
