Dallas Mavericks Receive: F Kevin Love, F Dylan Windler
Cleveland Cavaliers Receive: C James Johnson, G Tim Hardaway Jr, DAL 2021 2nd Round Pick, DAL 2022 1st Round Pick
The Dallas Mavericks desperately need some frontcourt help and while Kevin Love has a big price tag in terms of his contract, he knows what it takes to win a championship and can easily be the third scoring option on this Dallas Mavericks team to complement Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis.
In order for the Mavericks to make this trade work, they would have to package some draft picks together with James Johnson and a key role player in Tim Hardaway Jr. The Cavaliers have not made their intentions clear on whether or not they want to keep Kevin Love, but if they are willing to move on, the Mavs need to step in and do everything they can to bring him to Dallas.
While he is not the double-double machine he once was early in his career with the Timberwolves, Kevin Love has consistently been one of the better scoring power-forwards in the league over the years and is a big time three-point threat. In 56 games last year with the Cavs, Kevin Love averaged 17.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and shot 45% from the floor, 37.4% from three-point range.
If this trade was to be proposed and accepted, the Cavaliers would either look for a trade partner for James Johnson, or they would likely buy-out his contract since they do not have much use for him in their frontcourt. They could even keep him if they were going to trade away Andre Drummond or JaVale McGee as well.
Tim Hardaway Jr. however could be a great addition for the Cavaliers on the wing and be a key veteran that helps them reach the playoffs this season. After being one of the worst teams in the league last year, the Cavaliers are a very young and hungry team this year that have not backed down from any team this year.
They always fight til the final buzzer and as a result, the future is really bright for this organization. They are way ahead of schedule in terms of being a force in the Eastern Conference again and trading away Love now definitely escalates this process even more!
There is a lot to like about this trade for both teams, which is why it makes a lot of sense. Let’s take a deeper look at why this trade would be great for both the Dallas Mavericks and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
