NBA Trade Rumors: Kevin Love Deal Not Discussed By Cavs

The Cleveland Cavaliers are not interested in trading power forward Kevin Love as he gets ready to ramp up his rehabilitation from a toe problem.

Love was given a huge four-year, $120 million extension in the summer as he was tasked with steering the Cleveland ship following the departure of LeBron James to the Los Angeles Lakers.

However, Love has only appeared in four games so far due to an injured left toe suffered late in October. He underwent a surgery for it last month. In the meantime, the Cavaliers have endured a disastrous season so far with a 5-18 record.

Head coach Tyronn Lue was fired after a poor 0-6 start, J.R. Smith has left the team to facilitate a trade, while Kyle Korver was recently traded to the Utah Jazz which reportedly made Cavs players upset.

And in recent weeks, it's been suggested that the Cavaliers should cash in on Love to get valuable assets in return and truly rebuild the team with an eye on next year's draft, with ESPN's Brian Windhorst claiming last month multiple teams would be interested in the former Timberwolves star.

“I’ve talked to general managers out there who are interested in trading for Kevin Love, right now,” Windhorst said. “Maybe not this moment, but they maintain in trading for him this season, if he’s healthy. The Cavs would be able to get pieces for him. I don’t necessarily think they’d be great pieces. When you have a guy under a $100 million contract who is injured, you worry about whether you’d have to ‘incentivize’… it’s what’s known as ‘incentivizing’ where you’d have to add something to the deal like a draft pick or something to sweeten the pot for a team to the player off your hands.”

"As far as I can tell, in talking to people around the league, that would not be the case for Kevin Love,” he added. “In other words, the Cavs would be able to get return for him. That said, are you going to get good young players, draft picks, stars back? That’s a discussion for another day,” he said.

However, the Cavaliers have had "no discussions" over trading Love and plan on playing him when he makes his intended comeback in mid-January, according to The Athletic's Joe Vardon.

“He can begin to ramp up his workouts in another three to four weeks, Love told The Athletic,” Vardon wrote. “He said he wouldn’t return before he’s ready, estimating his absence extending another six weeks.”

Love, meanwhile, hasn't asked for a trade either despite being upset at how things have turned out in Cleveland so far.

“Like the rest of the team’s veterans, he was upset by the turn in direction of the franchise and spent some time away for the first few weeks following surgery, but wants to stay in Cleveland and has not asked for a trade," Vardon added.

That serves as good news for the Cavs who have certainly missed Love's presence and ability this season. And Larry Drew, who replaced Lue as head coach, believes the forward's impending return will greatly benefit the team.

“Kevin has been our go-to guy, and we haven’t had that all season long,” Drew told The Athletic. “And then Kevin gives us, not taking anything away from our other big guys, but he’s our No. 1 post priority and we haven’t had that all year. That makes it tough.”