Wiggins or Love ?

[Tampahusky]

If you were Cleveland would you trade Andrew Wiggins for Kevin Love? I would stay with Wiggins and hope he becomes a top 5 player in the league and have him for the next decade. Also can you afford Lebron,Love, and Kyrie on the same team? Wiggins actually helps out with his rookie contract. Wiggins at worst will be Kahwi Leonard.

 

[UConn990411]

If you were Cleveland would you trade Andrew Wiggins for Kevin Love? I would stay with Wiggins and hope he becomes a top 5 player in the league and have him for the next decade. Also can you afford Lebron,Love, and Kyrie on the same team? Wiggins actually helps out with his rookie contract. Wiggins at worst will be Kahwi Leonard.

Yes.

I understand the appeal of keeping Wiggins, and I don't think it would be the worst decision in the world. But I think the Cavs should absolutely pull the trigger and trade for Love. With LeBron, Love and Kyrie, the Cavs instantly become the favorites in the East, and they really would be very close to one of the favorites to win it all. Plus, both Love and Kyrie are yet to enter their primes, so LeBron wouldn't be forced to carry his team on a nightly basis.

Hanging onto Wiggins, on the other hand, requires too many variable to break right for Cleveland, which opens up the possibility of the Cavs never being contenders. And as incredible a talent as LeBron is, he's still a human being, with a finite physical prime. By the time Wiggins comes into his own (if he ever does), the Cavs' window to win a 'ship could only be a year or two, compared to the 3- to 5-year window they'd have with the LeBron-Kyrie-Love trio.

 

[husky99]

love!

 

[7774]

If you were Cleveland would you trade Andrew Wiggins for Kevin Love? I would stay with Wiggins and hope he becomes a top 5 player in the league and have him for the next decade. Also can you afford Lebron,Love, and Kyrie on the same team? Wiggins actually helps out with his rookie contract. Wiggins at worst will be Kahwi Leonard.

It would be a no brainer for me to trade for Love.

 

[RayRay19]

Wait it out because golden state will in no way trade thompson. I don't understand how a waiters/bennett/2 first rounders doesn't work...

 

[upstater]

Wait it out because golden state will in no way trade thompson. I don't understand how a waiters/bennett/2 first rounders doesn't work...

Doesn't sound too appealing to me. The 2 firsts will likely be end of first round. Waiters and Bennett for Love and 2 guys who might not make the team.

 

[James]

they should wait to see how wiggins gels with lebron, unless lebron makes a power play. Trading for love would risk turning them into an average defensive team.

 

[Fishy]

If you're the Cavaliers, you ask LeBron James which player he prefers and then you go get that player.

If the downside is that you end up with a power forward who averages 26 and 13 and can shoot threes, well, you just have to live with that.

 

[champs99and04]

Trading for love would risk turning them into an average defensive team.

With an Irving/Waiters/Love nucleus, you'll be lucky to be an average defensive team.

 

[Dynasty]

You win right now, especially in a city like Cleveland. I go with Love.

 

[jfuchs91]

You stay with Wiggins. I understand the "win now" mentality, but the fact of the matter is that any team with LeBron is going to be a serious threat to win it all. The Cavaliers squad as it's presently constructed is a lock for a top 3 spot in the East and has a great chance at making the Finals.

Keeping Wiggins also gives you the best chance to win long-term. Not only for his potential to blossom into one of the top players in the league himself (and have a Jordan/Pippen-esque run with LeBron), but also from a salary cap flexibility standpoint. Love will demand a max contract immediately, whereas Wiggins will be under his rookie contract for several years. Staying with Wiggins will allow the Cavaliers to add other solid pieces around the team's core. The end of the Miami Big 3 Era taught us that having 3 near-max contracts severely handicaps a team's ability to surround its stars with quality depth.

 

[Fishy]

The Miami Big 3 Era showed us that you can go to the NBA championship every year with three superstars.

 

[husky91]

And Irving is close to DWade and Love is a huge upgrade over Bosh.

I think Wiggins could be a star, Love is and you can win now.

The Miami Big 3 Era showed us that you can go to the NBA championship every year with three superstars.

 

[TheChamps990411]

Id wait. Love is a free agent after next year and Lebron already said a championship is going to take time. You win 50 games next year and sign Love in the off season and you keep wiggins. I would not trade wiggins. Id rather wait and win for the next decade than trade for love whose never reached the playoffs nevermind won a title and maybe win a title in the next year or two if youre lucky.

 

[aceboon]

And Irving is close to DWade and Love is a huge upgrade over Bosh.

I think Wiggins could be a star, Love is and you can win now.

If you think Love is a huge upgrade over Bosh you're completely ignoring one end of the floor. Also, Bosh was putting up big offensive numbers when he wasn't sharing the ball in TO, lets see what Love's ppg is looking like when he's deferring to a superstar, and another player who demands the ball and shot attempts in Irving. I'd be shocked if Bosh doesn't return back to his Raptors days with a bigger and more diversified role in the Heat's offense without Bron.

 

[jfuchs91]

The Miami Big 3 Era showed us that you can go to the NBA championship every year with three superstars.

Correct. And if those three superstars are established NBA veterans, and aren't willing to take pay-cuts like the Spurs' Big 3, then "every year" will only last for a handful of seasons.

The Spurs also showed us that a team with quality depth can dismantle a "super team" with 3 stars. Much of the new CBA was to deter "super teams". The Heat weren't going to be able to put quality pieces around the Big 3 this offseason, even if Wade and Bosh took pay-cuts. The key to long sustained success is having some good, young talent on cheap contracts.

 

[Dynasty]

You stay with Wiggins. I understand the "win now" mentality, but the fact of the matter is that any team with LeBron is going to be a serious threat to win it all. The Cavaliers squad as it's presently constructed is a lock for a top 3 spot in the East and has a great chance at making the Finals.

Keeping Wiggins also gives you the best chance to win long-term. Not only for his potential to blossom into one of the top players in the league himself (and have a Jordan/Pippen-esque run with LeBron), but also from a salary cap flexibility standpoint. Love will demand a max contract immediately, whereas Wiggins will be under his rookie contract for several years. Staying with Wiggins will allow the Cavaliers to add other solid pieces around the team's core. The end of the Miami Big 3 Era taught us that having 3 near-max contracts severely handicaps a team's ability to surround its stars with quality depth.

Yes, but the Cavs are already built differently than the Heat were. The Heat literally had to build a team through free agency because they got rid of everyone besides Chalmers, Haslem, and James Jones for the summer of 2010 while giving up their draft picks in the process to sign LeBron and Bosh to max contracts. The Cavs have been collecting draft picks during their down period and would still have quite a collection even if they gave up a couple of first round picks. Hypothetically, if the Wolves were to agree to Wiggins, Thompson(or you can sub in Bennett/Waiters), and 2 or 3 first round picks, the Cavs would still have decent players like Waiters, Bennett, Varejao to fill the void while strengthen their weakest area which is the front court. A team of LeBron, Kyrie, Love, along with Waiters, Bennett, Varejao, etc. , I say, would already be better (on paper anyway) than any of the Miami teams during the LeBron era as well as having a brighter future.

 

[auror]

Id wait. Love is a free agent after next year and Lebron already said a championship is going to take time. You win 50 games next year and sign Love in the off season and you keep wiggins. I would not trade wiggins. Id rather wait and win for the next decade than trade for love whose never reached the playoffs nevermind won a title and maybe win a title in the next year or two if youre lucky.

This. Why give up the first overall draft pick (in a loaded draft) for a guy who is coming next year in Free Agency anyways. And if he doesn't, someone else will be.

The choice is not Love or Wiggins. The choice is Love now or Wiggins and SuperstarX next year.

 

[Tampahusky]

Your not going to be able to sign Love straight out without a sign and trade . He's going to want his money also and Minny is not going to let him go for nothing.

 

[ihatepants]

Some of you are forgetting that getting Love now gives the Cavs his bird rights so that they can go over the cap to resign him to a longer term deal next year. They likely won't be able to afford him as an unrestricted free agent unless he is willing to take a major discount... Cleveland currently only has about $1.4 mil in cap room, not including Mike Miller (and possibly Ray Allen's signings - Miller would be getting the room exception and $1.4 mil is still lower than Allen's veteran minimum). They'll probably end up spending that remaining cap space on three year contracts for Dwight Powell or Joe Harris. The only expiring contract on the roster is Varejao's for $9.7 mil.

Edit: I forgot that Kyrie signed an extension, too, so his salary is jumping from $7mil this year to about $18mil next year.

 

[uconnbill]

I like Wiggins upside but Love is proven and will score points and rebound. Something that Cleveland and Lebron could use and any other team in the NBA

 

[Dogdeacon]

Your not going to be able to sign Love straight out without a sign and trade . He's going to want his money also and Minny is not going to let him go for nothing.

I didn't love Wiggins in college, but Id be very tempted to try and keep him and try to get Love or next best option in free agency. The Wiggins -LeBron parallel with Jordan Pippen is enticing.

 

[superjohn]

I didn't love Wiggins in college, but Id be very tempted to try and keep him and try to get Love or next best option in free agency. The Wiggins -LeBron parallel with Jordan Pippen is enticing.

All this talk and finally somebody says what I've been thinking. Love sounds like the sexy pick if you want to win right now, he puts up crazy numbers and you have a new big three. It's definitely a hard decision but I would keep Wiggins. I think the chances of Wiggins being a star are high and I think right away he will be a star on defense. Let this kid develop for a couple of years and I think you have Jordan and Pippen all over again. I love Kevin Love and he puts up monster numbers but let's be honest there are two sides of the court and Love at a young age has also never proven to be a healthy player. Wiggins has very real star potential and he will also save Labron's legs from having to guard the Durantt's of the world.

 

[dogfan96]

Correct. And if those three superstars are established NBA veterans, and aren't willing to take pay-cuts like the Spurs' Big 3, then "every year" will only last for a handful of seasons.

The Spurs also showed us that a team with quality depth can dismantle a "super team" with 3 stars. Much of the new CBA was to deter "super teams". The Heat weren't going to be able to put quality pieces around the Big 3 this offseason, even if Wade and Bosh took pay-cuts. The key to long sustained success is having some good, young talent on cheap contracts.

Only Wade's knee derailed Miami. They gambled that resting him in the regular season would pay off in the playoffs. It did for a while, but by Game 2 of the Finals, he looked like an old man. If he's playing at something close to his normal level, that series goes long and Miami could be coming back looking for 4 straight this year. Then they'd basically be returning that whole team, minus Chalmers and Battier (who had basically fallen out of the rotation anyway). No way their owner goes the cheap route with a chance at 4 straight titles.

 

[amory]

Cleveland is officially a "win now" team. Wiggins might turn into a great player down the line, and he's a cheap contract for the next few years, but Love is a great player NOW and can help them win a championship this season.

Cavs are smart to pull out all the stops to get him.