Budinger's injury

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

Also, Cleveland offered the No. 1 pick, Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters for Love and Flip rejected it. Is Hayward, Favors, Rush and a first round pick a better deal than that? I would be inclined to say no.

To win a championship in today's NBA, you have to have a superstar. In all the names mentioned, is there one player that seems like they have potential to be that superstar? No. I'd rather hold on to Love unless a team next off-season is stupid enough to offer a young player with fringe All-Star potential as well as the No. 1 pick in the draft which would likely be Wiggins. Other than that, it makes way more sense to keep Love and try to win with him.

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

Thompson and Waiters are both backups and the number 1 pick in this draft was not even close to being a sure thing. Favors and Hayward are both starters now with youth on their side. Favors/Hayward is 1000 times better than Bennett, Thompson, Waiters. Utah missed the playoffs by 2 games and Hayward was a huge part of that and Favors was solid off the bench. Cleveland missed the playoffs by 14 games. How is two young, solid starters and a first round pick not good value for 1 All-star? I think you overrate what teams are actually getting for their superstars. OKC got 2 first round picks and a 6th man. I would argue the return we get with the deal I bring up is way better than that. Utah got Harris (no longer there), Favors and two first round picks (Kanter and Dieng who was traded to us for Burke) for Williams. So they got 2 starters and a first round pick only they had to wait a few years for Kanter and Favors to be ready to start. That is the same deal I am proposing except in mine the players in return would already be ready to start. The Magic got 2 starters and a first plus some garbage for Dwight (Vucevic, AA, Harkless). I'm right on the money for what Superstars are netting these days.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

Thompson and Waiters are both backups and the number 1 pick in this draft was not even close to being a sure thing. Favors and Hayward are both starters now with youth on their side. Favors/Hayward is 1000 times better than Bennett, Thompson, Waiters. Utah missed the playoffs by 2 games and Hayward was a huge part of that and Favors was solid off the bench. Cleveland missed the playoffs by 14 games. How is two young, solid starters and a first round pick not good value for 1 All-star? I think you overrate what teams are actually getting for their superstars. OKC got 2 first round picks and a 6th man. I would argue the return we get with the deal I bring up is way better than that. Utah got Harris (no longer there), Favors and two first round picks (Kanter and Dieng who was traded to us for Burke) for Williams. So they got 2 starters and a first round pick only they had to wait a few years for Kanter and Favors to be ready to start. That is the same deal I am proposing except in mine the players in return would already be ready to start. The Magic got 2 starters and a first plus some garbage for Dwight (Vucevic, AA, Harkless). I'm right on the money for what Superstars are netting these days.

Lol so Thompson is a backup? Well then...

Per 36 last year:

Favors- 14.6 PPG, 11 RPG, 2.6 BPG. 48% FG and 69% FT.

Thompson- 13.4 PPG, 11 RPG, 1 BPG. 49% FG and 60% FT.

Those are practically the exact same stats yet you love love love Favors and completely dismiss Thompson. Give me a break. Also, I don't understand why you brought up last year's team records. Yes, Utah barely missed the playoffs and Cleveland missed the playoffs by double digit games. That has nothing to do with the quality of players in the two different trades (one CLE offered and one you think Utah should offer).

Maybe that's where we are differing. I see Kevin Love as a star (top-8 player in basketball). If all you think of Love is just an All-Star than maybe I understand why you would deal him for what you would. And yes, there's a difference. Luol Deng is just an All-Star. Joakim Noah is just an All-Star. Carmelo Anthony is a star. Chris Paul is a star. I see Kevin Love closer to being a star than just an All-Star.

OKC got killed in the Harden trade and I thought that as soon as they traded him. K-Mart (last year on contract), Lamb (who I like) and two blehh first rounders if I recall correctly. One that turned into a lottery pick in last year's weak draft. Harden's a legit star. OKC lost that trade hands down. Wouldn't use that trade as a comparison.

Dwight in Orlando brought his own trade value down by forcing his way out. Plus it was clear that he only wanted to go to two teams (Brooklyn or LA). Of course that makes fair value tough to get for Orlando, you kidding me? They still turned out okay, but I think they could have got more back for him had he been quiet about the teams he wanted to play for.

[KiwiMatt]

Khan and Camden you both have valid points.

However I disagree with OKC getting fleeced in the Harden trade. Steven Adams is going to be a top 5 center in this league, just you watch. He has pretty much already displaced Thabeet's backup role and is by next year he will be starting. This is a 19 year Kiwi lad with only one years college experience. Add to that Jeremy Lamb who looks like a stud in the making. That trade can not be judged for another 2 years, just like the Utah one.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

Hummel to start tonight at SF. Crossing my fingers. I hope he plays well. I really want him to make the roster. Love his BBIQ, shooting and it's a great story to root for.

[Lipoli390]

I'm with Cam on preferring Love over any of the deals mentioned in this thread. Love is an allstar and probably the best PF in the NBA. We have to hope that players around Love and Ricky step up to a level that exceeds expectations. Either that or the Wolves should deal Williams for Turner and hope that Turner blossoms in Adelman's system playing alongside Love and Ricky. I still haven't lost all hope for Derrick either. Trading Love would be starting over from scratch. That's not something this franchise should be thinking about now. Let's see if we can upgrade the SF position via trade or free agency. Otherwise, let's role with what we have with a team built around Love and Rubio.

[worldK]

We should not think about trading love for any other player aside from a true superstar in the league.

We have talk about what could have been for the last 1 and a half season had rubio not go down in 11-12 season or love been out last season. Now we finally have them both healthy along with pek and a starting caliber and 3pt specialist in martin, we can finally see what the love-rubio duo with a better supporting cast can do. Lets stop this trade love for a bunch of role players with potential to be stars types. Love, when healthy, is a true star and a unique player.

Only trade we should look at is for an upgrade at sf. A good starting caliber role playing sf would do.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

We should not think about trading love for any other player aside from a true superstar in the league.

We have talk about what could have been for the last 1 and a half season had rubio not go down in 11-12 season or love been out last season. Now we finally have them both healthy along with pek and a starting caliber and 3pt specialist in martin, we can finally see what the love-rubio duo with a better supporting cast can do. Lets stop this trade love for a bunch of role players with potential to be stars types. Love, when healthy, is a true star and a unique player.

Only trade we should look at is for an upgrade at sf. A good starting caliber role playing sf would do.

Finally. This >>>

[KiwiMatt]

I'm with Cam on preferring Love over any of the deals mentioned in this thread. Love is an allstar and probably the best PF in the NBA. We have to hope that players around Love and Ricky step up to a level that exceeds expectations. Either that or the Wolves should deal Williams for Turner and hope that Turner blossoms in Adelman's system playing alongside Love and Ricky. I still haven't lost all hope for Derrick either. Trading Love would be starting over from scratch. That's not something this franchise should be thinking about now. Let's see if we can upgrade the SF position via trade or free agency. Otherwise, let's role with what we have with a team built around Love and Rubio.

Agree with you Lip. Lets role with what we have. We have 4 bonafide starters in Rubio, Martin, Love and Pek. Surely one of Brewer, Williams or Muhammad can tie over the SF position sufficiently. I like the balance we have and would like to keep the current roster and see how we go.