Kevin Love Requests Trade to Cleveland Cavaliers: How Does This Affect the Golden State Warriors?
Golden State Warriors
Jan 24, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) is defended by Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love (42) in the fourth quarter at Oracle Arena. The Timberwolves defeated the Warriors 121-120. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
What an interesting ride it’s been for Golden State after hearing Love was intrigued by the idea of joining the Warriors and the Bulls as possible destinations he would be willing to sign with long-term. How fitting would it be that he end up with neither?
But getting right to the point, Love’s most recent trade request could actually be a blessing in disguise for the Dubs.
As amazing as pick-and-rolls would have been between Love and Warriors All-Star Stephen Curry, the fact of the matter is that the Warriors are just as set as the Cavs to make a run in the playoffs. After acquiring Shaun Livingston and Brandon Rush to replace Steve Blake and Jordan Crawford, the Warriors arguably look like the better overall team.
There’s no doubt that LeBron James is the best player in the world, and Kyrie Irving is certainly one of the league’s top point guards, but the San Antonio Spurs proved last season that a complete, unified team could easily rout a “Big Three”. That’s not to say the Warriors could definitely mimic that success, but Cleveland’s Big Three would lack solid pieces around them following a costly trade for Love. For a team already lacking reliable help off the bench, whatever package Cleveland gives up for Love will result in a considerable blow to their roster, and the pool of free agents is dwindling. Long-term health would also play a huge factor, as Irving and Anderson Varejao aren’t exactly the safest bets when it comes to that category.
Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
What some may see as “safe”, conservative and outright wrong in regards to the Warriors’ refusal to deal their beloved shooting guard, others may see as a smart investment. Many claim that Golden State knew exactly what they were getting in Love, but the truth is there is absolutely no way of knowing that for sure. Of course, that’s what trading is all about: there’s always risk involved and sometimes it pays off. Who knows? Maybe the Warriors could have won a title had they traded David Lee, Harrison Barnes and Thompson for Love and Kevin Martin‘s ridiculous contract. Just maybe. Chemistry, however, is an important variable that can’t be factored in conclusively, and neither can health.
The flip side to that coin is maybe the Warriors can win a title with their current roster. Just maybe. They already have a solid starting lineup, their bench is much improved from last year, they have a bright new coach bringing a whole new set of on-court philosophies and there’s no reason to doubt the team’s chemistry. On paper, the roster looks fairly well-rounded, capable of putting up points in a hurry without sacrificing defense. What good is drafting and acquiring all these talented players if you’re not willing to be patient and watch them grow together as a team? If Love truly wants to go to the Cavaliers, this works in Golden State’s favor first and foremost because they will no longer feel pressured to break up their talented roster for the sake of adding just one superstar.
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Backtracking, sometimes these risks pay off, but other times they don’t pay off at all. There are many questions regarding Love’s (and Martin’s) health that are bothersome. Thompson at the center of that debate puts at least one durable scorer the Warriors can rely upon night in and night out. When you consider Love’s long list of injuries and the fact he missed a total 77 games prior to last season (in which he ironically played a total of 77 games), Thompson looks like a much safer bet.
He’s a much better sharpshooter than Love (41.7 percent behind the arc as opposed to 37.6 percent), and he’s an excellent perimeter defender capable of guarding the league’s best guards. Martin, 31, would be a poor replacement for Thompson as he is widely considered to be a horrible defender and also of questionable durability.
The Warriors could certainly use an upgrade at power forward with Lee losing his touch a bit, but the 31 year-old still averaged 18.2 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists last season. If Love were to go down during the season and miss a considerable amount of games, that leaves Curry and Andre Iguodala with the responsibility of carrying the scoring load. The team still gives up some defense with Lee in the frontcourt, and three surgeries in three consecutive offseasons doesn’t exactly shout “durable”, but he’s still a Warriors veteran that hustles on both ends and acts as a glue guy in the locker room.
On top of that, there’s also the financial hole the Warriors would be digging for themselves by taking on Martin’s contract AND Love’s upcoming extension (estimated to be roughly $4 million more than Thompson’s upcoming extension). And who’s to say Love even signs a long-term extension? In the scenario he wouldn’t, such a move could possibly throw the Warriors back into the rebuilding phase for several years.
So overall, the organization takes a much safer bet sticking to what they know with the players they have. While the Dubs could use a stretch-four like Love to contend for a title, there’s shouldn’t be any doubt that they’ll still be great without him.