The Los Angeles Clippers and the Cleveland Cavaliers both have All-Star forwards in Blake Griffin and Kevin Love; however, Griffin and Love aren’t the best fits on their current rosters. Both players have, in a way, become the elephants in the room on their squads. Griffin and Love aren’t the greatest fits on their current rosters, and may both benefit from a trade. Could a straight up swap of Blake Griffin for Kevin Love be the perfect deal?
Why the Clippers do it
Currently, the Clippers are armed with, most notably, star studded point guard Chris Paul, defensive demon DeAndre Jordan, sharpshooter J.J. Redick, the scoring punch off the bench in Jamal Crawford, and the high flying Blake Griffin. This core has been in the postseason every year for the past five seasons; however, Blake Griffin has struggled to stay on the court, due to injuries. Last season, he only played in 35 games, but a strange conclusion came from his absence. It appeared as if the Clippers were better without him, a conclusion that seemed to be ludicrous a few seasons ago, but now may be a reality. The Clippers started playing like a team that could rely on its perimeter shooting ability in his absence. With Chris Paul running the show, shooters like J.J. Redick, Jamal Crawford, and Wesley Johnson out on the perimeter, and DeAndre Jordan in the paint retrieving alley oops and offensive rebounds, the Clippers looked like a team that was a stretch four away from becoming a legitimate Western Conference threat to the Golden State Warriors. That is why trading for Kevin Love makes perfect sense.
If you looked up the definition of a stretch four in a basketball almanac, Kevin Love would be it. He plays out on the perimeter, can step inside the three point line, and he can play in the post when he has too. He is also a great offensive and defensive rebounder, and Love is also just two years removed from being considered arguably the NBA’s best power forward. Before the trade to Cleveland, Love was a top five rebounder in three of four seasons in Minnesota, and also portrayed himself as one of the NBA’s best, if not the best, shooting big man. Kevin Love in Los Angeles makes too much sense. He would spread the floor, and make it easier for DeAndre Jordan to rack in even more rebounds. Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan are a formidable big man duo, but they’re not the best fit together. Griffin and Jordan both play in the paint, and in today’s NBA, you need a big man to spread the floor for your team, and Griffin doesn’t do that, Love does. Love in Los Angeles would make the Clippers a more sound basketball team.
Why the Cavaliers do it
Coming off an NBA title, the Cavaliers are the clear team to beat in the East, but winning the chip will be harder than ever next season. With Kevin Durant heading to Golden State, the Warriors have become the powerhouse of the NBA, and the Cavs really have no way to match that move, but they can come close. Currently, Kevin Love is the third wheel in the Cleveland offense behind the worlds best player Lebron James, and star point guard Kyrie Irving. Love has become just a spot up shooter, and he’s more than that. The Cavaliers aren’t in search of a forward that can stretch the floor, they are more in favor of a big that can finish in the paint; Blake Griffin would be perfect. Griffin is a player that nearly scores all of his points in the paint, and can adjust to being second, or third fiddle in an offense. He has done it the last two seasons in Los Angeles behind Chris Paul, and is it crazy to say that last season DeAndre Jordan was more valuable to the Clippers than Blake Griffin was? Griffin is a better fit in Cleveland than Los Angeles; he plays inside, is a run and gun player, and the type of player that would be literally the perfect frontcourt mate to Lebron James. Both James, and Griffin like to go coast to coast, and fly high above the rim. They both play with a motor, and they would form a formidable frontline pairing. Griffin makes sense basketball wise for the Cavs, but he also makes sense financially.
Why it Makes Perfect Financial Sense for Both Teams
After this season, Blake Griffin will be heading for free agency, and while he claims that he intends to resign in Los Angeles, remember when LaMarcus Aldridge said that he intended to resign with Portland a year before free agency? He blindsided the entire franchise and fanbase by bolting for the San Antonio Spurs, a move that you can’t knock Aldridge for making, but it’s a move that should serve as a model for the Clippers. No matter what a player says he “intends to do”, you can’t take the chance that a player like Griffin could leave for nothing. Trading Griffin gives the Clippers a sigh of relief, and trading him for Kevin Love gives them a player under contract for the next four years, who will provide better value, and while the Clippers benefit from this move, the Cavs do as well.
By trading away Kevin Love for Blake Griffin, the Cavs rid themselves of a player who is on a four year contract for a player on an expiring contract that provide better value for them. However, if Griffin and the Cavs, don’t end up being a match, they can part ways with him at season’s end when he hits free agency. The potential of that scenario also may give the Cavs confidence in resigning shooting guard J.R Smith. Currently, Smith and the Cavaliers are at an impasse in contract talks. Giving Smith a long term deal may be easier for the Cavs orgainzation to go through with knowing that they don’t have as much guaranteed money on their roster going forward with Kevin Love’s long term deal off the roster.
A Blake Griffin for Kevin Love swap makes sense for both the Clippers and the Cavaliers. Love gives the Clippers the versatile stretch four that they need next to DeAndre Jordan going forward, and Blake Griffin gives the Cavaliers the run and gun, high flying forward that can take their team to the next level. Financially, the deal is plausible for both sides as well. Trading for Love allows the Clippers to avoid the potential of losing Griffin for nothing in free agency, and Griffin opens up future cap space for the Cavs in the next few years. A Blake Griffin for Kevin Love trade would be beneficial for both the Clippers and the Cavaliers.
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