NBA Rumors: Cavaliers Could Trade 2016 Championship Winning Duo

The Cleveland Cavaliers are looking to make moves in the trade market and could offload players before the start of the new campaign or wait until the trade deadline to make the deal. The 2016 NBA champions could move two players who have been influential in recent years – Tristan Thompson and Kevin Love.

Thompson is entering the final year of his contract with the Cavaliers and is expected to earn $18.5 million. The rebounding and defensive specialist has spent his entire NBA career in Cleveland having been drafted 4th overall in the 2011 Draft.

The 28-year-old once played 477 consecutive games in the NBA but has missed 68 games in the last two seasons due to injury. Thompson will hold value to teams looking to improve the defensive side and according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Cavaliers could look to deal the power forward by the trade deadline.

Love, on the other hand, is about to start his four-year $120 million contract extension he signed last year but Windhorst claims that the team is eager to see how he fits in with new head coach John Beilein. The center/power forward played just 22 games last season due to a foot injury.

While it is still unlikely the Cavaliers will want to get rid of the five-time All-Star, the team is said to be open to Love finishing part of his four-year deal elsewhere. He has not garnered too much interest this offseason, but it could change should he perform well for Team USA in the World Cup this summer.

Similar to Thompson, it is believed any decision on potentially trading Love could occur as the trade deadline approaches rather than during the offseason before the 2019-20 campaign. The Cavaliers have thus far acquired three players in Darius Garland, who came through the Draft, Dylan Windler and Dean Wade.

Meanwhile, 2019 Free agency, which started with a frenzy on June 30 with a flurry of activity in the first 48 hours, has gone a bit quiet in recent days with all the attention on Kawhi Leonard – the only elite free agent yet to make a decision. The 2019 NBA champion’s decision is expected to have a domino effect with a few other free agents like Danny Green and DeMarcus Cousins waiting for Leonard’s decision.