The Cleveland Cavaliers are not giving up on their pursuit for Kevin Love. No matter how many teams throw their hats in to the ring in hopes of landing the forward, the Cavaliers remain confident they are the team to beat. Cleveland is reportedly remaining in constant contact with Minnesota while LeBron James continues to remind Love that they can win a championship together. With the Chicago Bulls entering the race, will a deal get done sooner rather than later?
According to Travis Lee of NESN.com, a deal sending Love to the Cleveland Cavaliers is essentially done. Lee was quoted saying a "trusted source" in the NBA is reporting that a deal is in place between the two franchises and it is only a matter of time before things get finalized. Take this news with a grain of salt. There have been plenty of rumors surrounding Love over the last two months and so far none of them have turned out to be true.
Both the Chicago Bulls and Golden State Warriors thought they too had "done deals" for Love prior to the NBA Draft. Both teams still do not have the forward on their roster. Yes, the Cleveland Cavaliers continue to assert themselves in a trade offering up several of their young assets in a trade package for Love. ESPN.com has reported that everyone from Anthony Bennett to Dion Waiters to first-round draft pick Andrew Wiggins could be available in a deal for Love. That certainly puts the Cavaliers in a good position to land him, but again, nothing has been done.
Yahoo! Sports has reported that James is recruiting Love heavily. However, it is not Love's decision on where he gets traded. James has to hope that the Cavaliers can manage that situation. The Cavaliers star is willing to see Cleveland give up Wiggins if it means getting a proven talent like Love. Bill Simmons of Grantland has stressed that Minnesota should not accept a deal from the Cavaliers unless it includes the No. 1 overall draft pick. Cleveland was hesitant to meet those demands, but have not reportedly thrown the guard into the mix.
The only thing that could set the Cavaliers back is a contract. ESPN has reported that Wiggins is set to sign his deal in the next two weeks. Once ink is put to paper, Wiggins cannot be traded for 30 days. That would allow a team like Golden State with Klay Thompson or Chicago with Taj Gibson to move ahead and possibly land the deal. James is confident things get done, but ultimately it is out of his hands.
