NBA fans react to Kevin Love to the Nets trade rumor
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The Nets just completed a blockbuster trade to acquire James Harden and assemble a new Big 3 in Brooklyn – and according to a new report, the organization may not be finished in the trade market.
According to Jason Dumas, a reporter for KRON 4 News in San Francisco, the Nets are “in discussions” with the Cleveland Cavaliers about a trade for center JaVale McGee – but are also interested in five-time All-Star Kevin Love.
Love has missed extended time this season with a calf injury. His contract situation would make a deal with the Nets difficult, if not impossible. Love is in year two of a four-year, $120 million deal with the Cavs, and is set to earn $31 million in each of the next two seasons. With no draft capital left following the Harden trade, the Nets would likely have to offer their top role players in this hypothetical trade scenario, leaving them tremendously top-heavy and even weaker on the defensive end.
The Cavaliers will look to flip a number of their bigs for draft capital. Andre Drummond & Kevin Love could both be moved, per source. I’m told Jarrett Allen is off the table. — Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) January 25, 2021
Could the Nets seriously be considering a deal for Love? NBA fans sounded off on a potential Love trade on Twitter.
NBA Trade Rumors: Brooklyn Nets Targeting JaVale McGee & Kevin Love From Cleveland?
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The Brooklyn Nets are one of the few super teams in the league. With the Big Three of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden, they have one of the best teams offensively.
This however hasn’t resonated in the regular season so far with the team. Despite their jam-packed offense excelling, the Nets find themselves with a record of ten wins and eight losses.
The biggest reason for this has been their defense. With such a leaky defense, the Nets are in dire need of a rim protector. The team is definitely looking for some reinforcements according to NBA insider Jason Dumas.
Dumas reported that the Nets are in active trade discussions to sign veteran big JaVale McGee from the Cavaliers.
McGee has fallen down the pecking order for the Cavs with the arrival of Jarrett Allen from the Nets. The 33-year-old had a great 2019-20 season with the Lakers as he and fellow center Dwight Howard dominated the paint.
Kevin Love meanwhile has been injury-prone in the last two seasons and is still out with a calf injury. Despite the injuries, Love has transformed into a consistent scorer and a decent defender. He will be a welcome addition to the Nets.
Why the Brooklyn Nets are interested in signing McGee or Love?
The Nets have an experienced center in DeAndre Jordan. The 32-year-old might be a three-time-All-NBA center, but in the last three years, he has surely seen a major drop off in his production offensively as well as defensively.
This is also apparent during this regular season. The Nets have been a nightmare in their defense and without a reliable backup to the 32-year-old; the Nets have suffered a lot.
The 2016-17 All-Star is the only true center-left for the Nets after the departure of Jarrett Allen. If they sign JaVale McGee, they will have a much more reliable backup than the likes of Jeff Green.
The three-time champion will be a much bigger threat in the paint and might even start ahead of Jordan considering he has had a much better season statistically so far. If the deal goes through, the Nets will be better defensively.
The signing of Kevin Love is an intriguing choice for the Nets. With such a poor injury record, trading for Love will be a big gamble. He might add to their loaded offense, but won’t address their biggest problem that is their defense.
With time running out, the Nets are desperate for a backup center. Can they trade for McGee or Love?
Are Nets in talks with Cavaliers about JaVale McGee? Two reports say they are
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For the second time since Friday, there’s a report that the Nets are in talks with the Cavaliers about acquiring JaVale McGee, the 7-foot defensive-oriented big and three-time NBA champion.
On Monday, Jason Dumas of KRON in San Francisco reported that Brooklyn and Cleveland are in “active discussions” about the 33-year-old, a teammate of Kevin Durant’s at Golden State.
SOURCE: The Brooklyn Nets are in active discussions with the Cleveland Cavaliers to acquire JaVale McGee. Also have interest in Kevin Love — Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) January 25, 2021
Although the Love part of the report seems a bit far-fetched —he’s owed $90 million over the next three years— this is the second time that a reporter has linked the Nets to McGee.
On Friday, Sam Amico, who has long covered the Cavaliers tweeted that sources told him the Nets may “make a run” on Javale McGree, who is under contract with Cleveland at $4.2 million this season.
Nets and Cavs meeting for second time tonight, and sources tell @FortyEightMins to expect Nets to make a run at acquiring Cavs backup center JaVale McGee soon. Brooklyn has 2 available roster spots and looking for another veteran presence in the middle. — Sam Amico (@AmicoHoops) January 23, 2021
Both reports follow the NBA’s decision Friday to grant the Nets a $5.7 million disabled player exception for Spencer Dinwiddie. McGee’s $4.2 million expiring contract would fit neatly into the DPE. The Nets could in theory send a future pick(s) or one of their stashes to Cleveland without sending out a player. The Nets currently have three roster openings and limited depth up front.
The Cavs, after picking up Jarrett Allen in the four team trade that brought James Harden to the Nets, are now top-heavy with bigs. In addition to Allen and McGee, Cleveland has Andre Drummond on the roster. Conversely, the Nets have only one veteran NBA 5, DeAndre Jordan, on the roster after the trade. They are also hurting on defense.
McGee, 33, has played 14 games for the Cavs this season, only one of them in a starting role. Still, he’s averaged 8.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 17 minutes.
One question, of course, is why would the Nets have agreed to sign 6’10” Norvel Pelle as reported by Adrian Wojnarowski. Pelle, also a rim protector, is six years younger than McGee and was on the Cavs G League roster.
Still, McGee is a veteran big and a defensive presence. Moreover, McGee has been part of three NBA championship teams, two with Durant in Golden State and last year with the Lakers. He was traded to the Cavaliers in November. On March 22, 2019, he had career highs of 33 points and 20 rebounds along with six blocked shots in a 111–106 loss to the Nets.
McGee made more than one highlight reel Sunday with this play against the Celtics.
POINT GOD JaVale McGee pic.twitter.com/O8nS5zloM9 — Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) January 25, 2021
Meanwhile, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer reported on a podcast with Andrew Yang, the former presidential candidate, that the Nets have their eyes on Drummond who’s playing on an expiring $28.7 million contract.
”People around the league say the Nets are hoping that Andre Drummond, the Cavs center, gets bought out. That’s what people say they’re hoping for but that’s unlikely because Cleveland is still in it,” referring to the playoff hunt.
One reason O’Connor thinks it’s unlikely is that this season the NBA playoff picture is limited to eight teams. At the end of the regular season, teams in the eighth, ninth and tenth spots will qualify for a “play-in” tournament.
“They’re in it partially because they’re pretty good but because they have more playoff sports to get in.”