WOJ: Cleveland has agreement to acquire Kevin Love

[timtonymanu]

No, you will see players just flock there now, Horry came yes and most thought he was done then and Finley was basically by himself coming here, not a 3 or 4 old vets running to the team one player has (Miami and now Cleveland). Spurs get a vet here or there like Barry, Finley and Horry but never in the same year when a big name comes to their team, thats different than coming to a vet club and by yourself and not with 2 or 3 other guys. I don't see the resemblence between the Spurs and Heat or Cleveland here, they seem to just flock there where he goes and watch this offseason more and more will come.

I have nothing against Lebron BTW, it's just the older guys who all fly to the team he is on when he gets there to try and get one ring or one last ring that makes me kind of chuckle, watch Ray Allen end up there now to follow him again. I would not doubt a few others joint Mike Miller and Jones etc. running there now, seems to be the theme where he goes.

, I would play with LeBron. You're guaranteed at worst a Finals trip. Why waste your time on another team with no chances at a le when your career is about to end? Plus, it's obvious players like being teammates with LeBron. Big Z followed him in 2010 to Miami and now Miller, Jones, and possibly Allen.

The Spurs only get 1-2 vets to join them because Pop is a picky coach (which is a good thing) and they play in a small market. Even today, players like Gasol, Granger, and Butler reject coming to the Spurs (thankfully none of them ever came here). No one likes playing here apparently.

[Sean Cagney]

, I would play with LeBron. You're guaranteed at worst a Finals trip. Why waste your time on another team with no chances at a le when your career is about to end? Plus, it's obvious players like being teammates with LeBron. Big Z followed him in 2010 to Miami and now Miller, Jones, and possibly Allen.

The Spurs only get 1-2 vets to join them because Pop is a picky coach (which is a good thing) and they play in a small market. Even today, players like Gasol, Granger, and Butler reject coming to the Spurs (thankfully none of them ever came here). No one likes playing here apparently.

I agree, it just sucks as far as the parity goes in the NBA, especially in the East. I would love to see more than just one team loading up and a actual playoff out there for once . Players love playing with Bron, mainly because he can possibly bring the old washed up or on their last leg guys a ring as you said since they could not do it during their own career in their prime , cheapens the ring SOME IMO. I would rather win on the team that drafted me and stay there, but hey not everyone as you said has the luxury of playing their careers on a team like the Spurs with a chance to ring and the best FO in the league.

I see why those on ty teams leave TBH, Love had no shot at all in Minny and he knew it. Miller was not going to win jack on Memphis if he stayed and whoever else goes there from a team who is not a contender I don't blame them for getting out of a bad situation to go to a possible finals team. I wish there was better teams out East, that is all.

Mbah a Moute would be perfect for the Cavs.... a very good defender who doesn't need the ball on the offensive end.

He will end up there if he is unloaded or released, perfect fit as you said and makes sense. Love is there too now so he might join his old teammate there, watch.

[skulls138]

Screw em. Let em join. More fuel for the fire.

[dbreiden83080]

This Cavs team will get way better than the last seasons' Heat. Waaaaay better.

Meh.. Kyrie is a talented young player but injury prone and Love is known as a soft player that stuffs the box scores but won't play defense. He also has never played any meaningful NBA basketball.. The rest of the team needs to gel.. It's going to interesting to watch it all play out..

[TheGoldStandard]

Makes the East more interesting.

[skulls138]

Makes the East more interesting.

Thats not saying much.

[admiralsnackbar]

Happy for the Wolves. They lost someone they were going to lose anyway for a pretty exciting infusion to rebuild upon. The Cavs now have to rely on vets under-valuing their worth to join the team. In Cleveland.

Best of luck, chaps.

[romain.star]

its insane what teams have to do to beat the spurs.......for the last 10 years they have been doing this......funny.

I'm not sure acquiring Love has much to do with beating the Spurs specifically. They are just trying to build the best team possible which... kind of makes of sense

[romain.star]

Not that easy to assemble a championship team. It helps that the East is so ridiculously weak. But still it just isn't that easy. You never know how players will gel. Also when Lebron went to Miami in 2010 Wade was already a Finals MVP. Kevin Love has never played in the playoffs. I guess we'll see.

In my opinion, this whole PO inexperience thing is overrated. When you're a good player, you're a good player. Plus, Lebron will deal with most of the pressure coming PO time so it should not be such an issue for Love.

What is worrisome (from a Cavs fan perspective) is that 2 of their Big 3 are defensive liabilities

[littlecoyotecoin]

In my opinion, this whole PO inexperience thing is overrated. When you're a good player, you're a good player. Plus, Lebron will deal with most of the pressure coming PO time so it should not be such an issue for Love.

What is worrisome (from a Cavs fan perspective) is that 2 of their Big 3 are defensive liabilities

Lebron will get his ass worn out, again, having to do too much. He knows this. So he goes on diet this summer and attempts to improve endurace instead of being a bulldozer with a small tank.

[Obstructed_View]

Now to see how Minnesota s up the talent they've acquired. Again.

[dbestpro]

Kyrie, Waiters, James, Love, Varejao, with Brendan Haywood, Tristan Thompson, Miller, Ray Allen (probable) and James Jones.

Still need a backup PG, and a defensive minded wing to fill out the roster. In fact all remaining roster spots should be defense first type players if there is such a thing in today's NBA.

[Werdsniper2]

Cleveland is a pretty large favorite to advance or win it all:

PG: IRVING
SG: WAITERS
SF: JAMES
PF: LOVE
C: VAREJAO

6th: THOMPSON
Bench: Mike Miller
Bench: Ray Allen (?)

Who on earth is going to out-rebound that team?

Waiters will only get better with LBJ giving him wide open looks.

Also, let's be honest. K Love might look like a poor defender right now, but is there not the off-chance that he just did not give a F playing with Minny?

Maybe I'm crazy, but I have more confidence in this team than most others.

It might even be a good idea to switch Waiters to 6th and put a solid 3 & D player at starting SG.

Also, if I were a Cavs fan, I would be disappointed in the loss of Bennett more than Wiggins. Everyone knew Wiggins would be a casualty. Bennett looks skinnier and HUNGRY. 14 PPG/5RPG/1.5BPG type of potential I think. He was horrible last year, absolutely. However, he seems to have taken it to heart. I think he is going to play with a fire in his eye. I am interested to see what he can produce this year.

[Seventyniner]

I don't know how to feel about a team that has so much top-level talent, but would start four one-way players.

[skulls138]

To me it depends on the coach. Also Id be interested in seeing LJ playing with a talented PG. One of my pet peeves with Lebron is how much he tries to be mister everything instead of just playing SF.

[velik_m]

What do you think would have been "fair"? Keep in mind, that CLE, if they wanted Love could not sign him in FA. They had to trade for him if they wanted him.

I haven't really thought that deeply about it, but i would at least try to keep Bennett and the 1st should be either later year or downgraded to second.

I just think it's too early for Cleveland to go "all in". There are huge question marks on this team: offensive (there is just one ball!), defensive, coaching (coach hasn't coached a single NBA game in his career, not even as an assistant), teamwork (how will all the new guys mesh with the guys already on the team) + much more (for example how will certain players play under pressure). If i was Cleveland, i wait some time to at least get a few things answered during the season, before you go all in.

The most troubling aspect of this trade however might be the feeling that LeBron is in the driver seat and is calling all the shots. That didn't end all too well for Cleveland the first time around.

[dabom]

Love is one of the best players to put next to Lebron but I would have liked to see the James/Wiggins duo on the wings.

I think they messed up. I don't rate wiggins high, but no team in the NBA can guard 2 huge wings on a starting five. Teams can stop a great SF and top15 PF. Thats like having twin towers on the perimeters. Teams would be forced to change their game just to play that team. Also they would save money paying wiggins on a rookie scale.

[Obstructed_View]

And there are reports that the Sixers are going to join into the Love trade and get rid of Thaddeus Young to get Bennett. The extended tanking continues.

[TheyCallMePro]

And there are reports that the Sixers are going to join into the Love trade and get rid of Thaddeus Young to get Bennett. The extended tanking continues.

Thaddeus Young ing sucks. Why would Minnesota give an intriguing prospect away for a proven scrub?

I think too many people are sleeping on Bennet. He should NEVER have been drafted #1, but it was a super weak draft. Last year he had sleep apnea (where you can only sleep 2 hours a night and feel horrible all day) and a shoulder injury. He's fixed both and did look good in summer league. He's still 6'8, versatile, and young. Has far more potential than Thaddeus freaking Young.

[BatManu20]

Good deal for all parties involved. Cavs easily the favorite in the east now, and wolves get two good, young players with potential and another 1st-round pick. win-win imo.

[baseline bum]

Thaddeus Young ing sucks. Why would Minnesota give an intriguing prospect away for a proven scrub?

I think too many people are sleeping on Bennet. He should NEVER have been drafted #1, but it was a super weak draft. Last year he had sleep apnea (where you can only sleep 2 hours a night and feel horrible all day) and a shoulder injury. He's fixed both and did look good in summer league. He's still 6'8, versatile, and young. Has far more potential than Thaddeus freaking Young.

Agreed, Minnesota is a ing trainwreck and Thaddeus Young is just another player who looks great to the eye test but is always a year away from being good. I don't know how long I have been waiting for this guy to break out, and he never has. And he has had all the chances in the world considering the Sixers shipped Iguodala out to get this guy big minutes. Not saying I love Bennett or anything, but I'd take a prospect over a guy who never hit his potential and is going to be expecting a big contract in a year. I wish someone would buy that team, clean house, and move them to Vancouver or Seattle to start fresh.

[baseline bum]

Good deal for all parties involved. Cavs easily the favorite in the east now, and wolves get two good, young players with potential and another 1st-round pick. win-win imo.

Young has been potential for seven years now. It's not going to happen and the Wolves are morons for trading away Bennett and that first round pick for that loser.

[baseline bum]

Now to see how Minnesota s up the talent they've acquired. Again.

What they do best. LOL at Zach LaVine saying " Me" the minute he got drafted by them. If I was in the draft I'd rather get picked 10 slots lower with the associated much lesser contract than go to a team that no young talent other than Love has ever gotten better under. Derrick Williams, Shabazz Muhammed, Wesley Joihnson, Johhny Flynn have all been complete -ups and Rubio is the exact same player he was in 2009. What a piece of franchise. I can't think of another team that has gotten so little out of so many high picks. I hate seeing Wiggins going there because you know he's never going to learn how to play in this league from ing Flip Saunders. What a waste.

[cd021]

They have Parsons and RJ () now. Marion could get more playing time in Cleveland.

Not necessarily. Lebron is at least playing 35 mpg with Miller as a backup and Marion would some play PF but Love and Thompson play that position.

[Seventyniner]

I haven't really thought that deeply about it, but i would at least try to keep Bennett and the 1st should be either later year or downgraded to second.

I just think it's too early for Cleveland to go "all in". There are huge question marks on this team: offensive (there is just one ball!), defensive, coaching (coach hasn't coached a single NBA game in his career, not even as an assistant), teamwork (how will all the new guys mesh with the guys already on the team) + much more (for example how will certain players play under pressure). If i was Cleveland, i wait some time to at least get a few things answered during the season, before you go all in.

The most troubling aspect of this trade however might be the feeling that LeBron is in the driver seat and is calling all the shots. That didn't end all too well for Cleveland the first time around.

Disagree. LeBron is basically on a one-year contract. The Cavs have to do everything possible right now. Yes it sucks to be at the beck and call of a player, but the end goal is to win a le, and assembling as much top-level talent as possible has worked in the past (2008 Celtics, 2011-14 Heat). A loss in the Finals is probably enough to keep LeBron in Cleveland, but anything less might cause him to bolt again.