Another trade deadline has come and gone and despite all of the rumors, Kevin Love remains with the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was never clear if the forward was available or not, but teams were operating under the idea that at the right price, they could acquire him. However, the Cavaliers stood tall in their faith in Love, but will that stay true if things do not go well come the postseason?
According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, faith is still high in Love. The forward has struggled to find his niche in Cleveland since his arrival. The shoulder injury in the playoffs did not help things. He and LeBron James have had some words back and forth. However, the Cavaliers believe that Love is critical in their quest for a championship. However, if that goal falls short, WIndhorst reports that Love could be the player on the outside looking in.
There is no doubt that if available, Love will have the attention of every team. Windhorst reported that the price for Love was high, too high to be met in the middle of the season. The Cavaliers wanted draft picks and a star player in return for the forward. No team would meet that in the middle of the season, not even the Boston Celtics who were considered the frontrunners for him. However, the offseason will be a different story as teams are more willing to shake things up. If the Cavaliers fall short of the a championship, a shakeup could take place.
James has done his best to downplay all of the talk around Love. During the All-Star break he was asked about the forward and responded that all rumors were false and he believes Love is getting more and more comfortable with the team.
"I think right now he's finally getting comfortable in his role," James said, via the Akron Beacon Journal. "I think coach (Tyronn) Lue has done a great job clearing the air what he expects out of all of us, including Kev, and he's a big focal point of our team. When he's playing locked in like this, it's great for us."
Time will tell if the faith in Love stays true. The Cavaliers are in win-now mode. They have their eyes on a championship after acquiring Channing Frye at the free agent deadline. If it does not work out, the team will not hesitate to break down and rebuild.
