Dream Draft and (Un)wiser Times for the Cavs: While We’re Waiting
January 26, 2017Reports of tension between LeBron James and Dan Gilbert
January 26, 2017Prior the Cleveland Cavaliers overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings Wednesday night, their third-consecutive loss and sixth in their last eight games, an interesting rumor surfaced that could have greatly shaken up the wine and gold.
Ever since the moment Kevin Love came to the Cavs prior to the 2014-15 season, he has been involved in trade rumors. That trend continued Wednesday, when ESPN’s Marc Stein and Chris Haynes reported that the Cavs have recently rejected a deal by the New York Knicks that would have sent Love to the Big Apple and Carmelo Anthony to the shores of Lake Erie.
Here’s what general manager David Griffin had to say about the rumors:
“There’s going to be a lot of things written between now and the end of the deadline and we’re going to be pretty consistent with not telling you any of those things. I’ll always try to keep you from driving off the cliff if you’re banging a drum that’s absolutely untrue all the time, but I’m not going to speak to any of those things.”
Over the past couple weeks, Cavs star LeBron James has been vocal about admitting that the team needs to add a playmaker and/or a backup point guard. With Cleveland’s most recent struggles, those needs have become much more evident. The Knicks, who would love to swap All-Star forwards with the Cavs, were politely rejected by Griffin and company.
While the Knicks and Anthony are going through some turmoil, some of whom think that the two should part ways. Even with those situations off the court, Anthony is averaging 22.6 points, six rebounds, and 3.1 assists in career-low 33.4 minutes per game. The 32-year-old is shooting 43.5 percent from the floor and 37.1 percent from beyond the arc in 45 games (all starts).
Anthony is currently in his third-to-last year of his contract and earning $24.6 million this season. For what it’s worth, Love is currently making $21.1 million and has three years left on his contract. Unless something drastic takes place, it looks as though the Cavs are fine with having Love over Anthony.
Related: James, Gilbert at odds over spending
18 Comments
Griffin said no without consulting LBJ…
This is going to grow tiresome if he is going to act like this for the next X years anytime the team is in a slump.
no clue as to why this is a story. Carmelo Anthony is not as good as Kevin Love.
Forget about the “right fit,” he’s just not as good. Throw in Carmelo’s higher salary, the fact that he plays even less D than Love, his 35% 3-point rate, and the fact that he is a stagnant offensive player, and you have a resoundingly easy answer.
I really think Phil wants to run Melo through the mud, publicly. I mean, he knows the Cavs aren’t going to make this deal but he just wants Carmelo to see that nobody wants him.
Don’t fool yourself. LBJ would push Love off the Terminal tower to get Carmelo on the team.
LBJ wants to win. Carmelo is not as good as Love for that. He knows this.
Don’t underestimate LBJ’s affinity for his friends.
More than a “playmaker,” maybe the Cavs would benefit from playing a little defense and practicing free throws.
Naaaaaah, can’t blame the players for any of this. It’s gotta be the cheap front office.
Shut up, LeBron.
Griffin making this trade would be his best revenge. Sure, it would be petty and might mean this would be his last GM job but a FO has only so many ways to fight back against LeBron.
That didn’t lead him to NYC a couple of years ago. I’m sure he’d enjoy teaming up with friends, but I doubt he would pull the trigger on this deal.
I think it’s fair to recognize that Carmelo’s effort may be ever so slightly higher if he feels like he’s on a championship caliber team, but you’re right. Love is better, younger, and cheaper. He’s higher in both offensive and defensive efficiency, has a higher PER, TS%, eFG%, BPM, WS/48, 3P%, and so on. Melo has slightly higher points and assists per 36, but he does it less efficiently and has a higher usage percentage. It’s a no brainer.
Don’t underestimate LBJ’s wife’s desire to go home.
LBJ’s wife is from Akron. She is home.
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Well, the roster is structurally flawed, but you can’t directly blame Griffin for that – is sort of a domino-effect from Mo Williams’ staging of “The In-Decision” last summer.
(Note: I do think there’s an argument to be made that Griffin’s failure to secure Delly beyond the qualifying offer in 2015 has played a key role as well.)
Would be fine by me…as long as Chris Paul shelves the self-referential t-shirts
Hence the move from South Beach to Cleveland, not NYC.
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