With the start of NBA free agency just a couple of days away, the Cleveland Cavaliers are gearing up and getting ready to hopefully improve on a roster that got them within one game of reaching the NBA playoffs.
In Darius Garland and Evan Mobley, they have what could soon become one of the game’s best duos.
Cleveland also has Jarrett Allen, a legitimate rim-protecting, shot-blocking center who made his first All-Star team this season.
lebron who this is jarrett allen's city pic.twitter.com/JQSQlqJXmC
— ᴅʀ. ᴍᴏᴏѕᴇ #antichildren (@phxIIymxkan) June 20, 2022
It may seem that the Cavs are set in the frontcourt, and in some ways, they are.
But they could stand to gain one more rotation player up front.
Why Do The Cavs Need Another Serviceable Big Man?
Behind Mobley and Allen, Cleveland isn’t terribly deep up front, although it does have some contributors.
Kevin Love had a nice bounce-back season, so much so that he was discussed as a contender for the Sixth Man of the Year award (the award ultimately went to the Miami Heat’s Tyler Herro).
Love averaged 13.6 points and 7.2 rebounds in 22.5 minutes per game while hitting 39.2 percent of his 3-point attempts, and after several injury-ravaged seasons, he appeared in 74 of 82 contests this year.
Year 14 ❤️🔥@kevinlove | #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/QCjB3plnCc
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) May 4, 2022
But he will be 34 next season, and other than the usual injury concerns surrounding him, the odds of him having another very productive year like the one he just had aren’t very great.
In addition, at this point of his career, Love isn’t a great defender.
Dean Wade will be coming back to the Cavs for another season, but he is just an average 3-point shooter.
Seven-footer Lauri Markkanen has become a key role player for Cleveland, but he isn’t a great rebounder, and his 3-point shooting has also only been average.
Ideally, the team could use a big man with legitimate size who is an above-average 3-point shooter and defender, especially with the number of star wings who have size in the Eastern Conference.
Such a reserve coming off the bench would help in neutralizing men such as Jayson Tatum, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jimmy Butler and Kevin Durant.
Perhaps It’s Time For Kevin Love To Be Traded
Ever since LeBron James left Cleveland in 2018 for the second time, Love has been mentioned in many trade rumors, as he has seemingly not fit in with the Cavs’ timeline or their current needs.
For the last couple of years, his injury-prone nature and large contract have dissuaded teams from pulling the trigger for him.
But now could be the time that the Cavs find a taker for Love.
He is entering the final year on his contract, which will pay him nearly $29 million, and although his production, even at his best, doesn’t even come close to justifying the money he’s being paid, it could come in handy in another way.
Another team may be willing to acquire him simply because his contract would come off the books in a year and clear it lots of salary cap space.
Perhaps that would be the carrot for the Cavs to upgrade their frontcourt a bit.
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