LeBron James Kevin Love
LeBron James, pictured helping Kevin Love to his feet at Quicken Loans Arena on Dec. 8, 2015 in Cleveland, said he doesn’t want the Cleveland Cavaliers to trade the star forward. Getty Images

The speculation surrounding a potential Carmelo Anthony for Kevin Love swap just won’t die. With the trade rumor picking up more steam Monday night, Love and LeBron James decided to address the matter.

Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reported that James is “pushing” the Cleveland Cavaliers to acquire Anthony from the New York Knicks, even if it means the team has to trade Love. James categorically denied the report, following Cleveland’s overtime victory over the Washington Wizards Monday night.

“It’s trash,” James said of the report. “And the guy who wrote it is trash too, for writing that, especially during the game like that. So it’s always about outside noise, and that’s just outside noise for us. We got to focus on what needs to be done and that’s to continue to compete for a championship. And we got who we got. Our GM will do a great job of figuring out if we need something else, but right now we’re in a good place.”

Love also shot down the report, claiming there is no issue between himself and James.

“I mean, it’s just not true,” Love told reporters. “It’s almost laughable. I’m on this team. I’m going to be on this team. And we want to win with the guys that we have.”

 

A photo posted by @kevinlove on

Cleveland has reportedly been looking to upgrade their roster since James publicly asked the organization to add another playmaker, and New York is reportedly exploring a trade that involves Anthony. However, ESPN reported on Jan. 25 that the Cavs rejected a proposed deal in which they would receive Anthony in exchange for Love.

The Knicks have reportedly also explored trading Anthony to the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers, though they were unable to find a suitable deal. Anthony would have to waive his no-trade clause to approve any trade.

Love helped the Cavs beat the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals, and his third season with the team has been by far his best. After scoring 39 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in Washington, the forward is averaging 20.4 points and 11.1 rebounds per game on the season.

Cleveland has a 2.5-game lead for first place in the Eastern Conference, and they remain the heavy favorites to reach the 2017 NBA Finals.

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