The Love-Wiggins Deal Thread

[TheGrey08]

http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=mtvrfxe

Add to that a 1st coming to MN, maybe a 2nd to the Cavs and some low salary filler to the Cavs. Maybe one of the Lakers 4 PFs could go back to CLE lol

EDIT: I'm actually really starting to love the idea of somehow getting Nash for a year. Him mentoring Rubio, Lavine, Wiggins. Joining a Canadian or 2 to boot. O.o

[TAFKASP]

I too will trust Flip on this. He's done well so far. But I still have this nagging fear that he is doing exactly what he did in his head coach hiring process -- i.e., deliberately setting the bar too high so that it looks like he tried but has to "settle" for what he wanted at the outset. I have no doubt Flip wanted to be head coach. And I suspect he really wants to keep Love. Or he would greatly prefer a Klay Thompson deal. I hope I'm wrong.

I just don't buy the idea that Flip manipulated the coaching search so he could take the job. I simply don't see anybody of quality who is going to want the job with knowledge that Love is on his way out and no real idea of what kind of team they're getting. This team has a quality, yet flawed Rubio, a few young guys with potential, and a bunch of journeyman. Combine that with a decade of failure, more if you discount the single WCF year and who is the coach to build and grow with this team? Karl? C'mon, he'd be great for a couple more years of almost.

The bottom line Lip is Saunders is the right man for the job at this time IMO. Did he see it that way himself? I don't really care. He took a shot at a couple young guys who could grow with the team and they declined. Time to let this one go!

If the report is true that the Cavs have offered Wiggins and Bennett plus a first round pick, then Flip should grab it and not look back. I'd insist on the Miami pick rather than the Cavs' own pick and I would think the Cavs would agree.

The simple insistence on the Miami pick could be what holding things up for all we know. Besides if I'm Cleveland I know I have to get more than Love to give my team a real shot at a championship. It could well be that they have agreed upon what Flip wants, but are working to include a third team to bring something extra to the Cavs bench.

I believe most of us on this board would have jumped on a pre-draft deal given the common belief prior that the Wolves leverage would only decline afterwards. It seems pretty clear to me Flip knew better and I see no reason not to have faith that he'll extract what he believes to be the best package under the circumstances.

[TheGrey08]

I too will trust Flip on this. He's done well so far. But I still have this nagging fear that he is doing exactly what he did in his head coach hiring process -- i.e., deliberately setting the bar too high so that it looks like he tried but has to "settle" for what he wanted at the outset. I have no doubt Flip wanted to be head coach. And I suspect he really wants to keep Love. Or he would greatly prefer a Klay Thompson deal. I hope I'm wrong.

I just don't buy the idea that Flip manipulated the coaching search so he could take the job. I simply don't see anybody of quality who is going to want the job with knowledge that Love is on his way out and no real idea of what kind of team they're getting. This team has a quality, yet flawed Rubio, a few young guys with potential, and a bunch of journeyman. Combine that with a decade of failure, more if you discount the single WCF year and who is the coach to build and grow with this team? Karl? C'mon, he'd be great for a couple more years of almost.

The bottom line Lip is Saunders is the right man for the job at this time IMO. Did he see it that way himself? I don't really care. He took a shot at a couple young guys who could grow with the team and they declined. Time to let this one go!

Agreed. I really don't think Flip would go through all that crap just so he could be the coach. I think if he really wanted to be from day one Taylor may have just given it to him. He went after some nice coaches who probably were interested until the Love fiasco. Sure he could have taken a look at Karl. I wouldn't have hated that move, but meh. The only thing I dislike is that he brought in too many guys he has worked with previously. I've never been a Sidney Lowe fan. I don't know.. maybe he's a solid assistant? I like that he kept Adelman at least.

[worldK]

I agree that a third team might be involved in this proposed deal, likely a team with cap space to absorb contracts and help make this work cap wise.

We have too many wings and we need to trim it down if we are getting wiggins in return. also we have no depth at pf and no roster spots left so there got to be more moving pieces from our part. A third team might be involved with the third team receiving draft picks in return for taking on a contract or two to make this work.

[Lipoli390]

SP - Actually I agree that Flip is the right guy for the head coaching position at this time. I still think he manipulated events to make naming himself head coach palatable to Glen who openly stated he did not want Flip to have both roles. Or maybe he did it subconsciously. Honestly, in retrospect, I'm glad Flip did what he did. Looking back at his coaching career, NBA and pre-NBA, you see he's proven himself an excellent head coach. I'm especially impressed by Flip's ability to develop young talent -- witness KG and Marbury. Marbury never played better than he did while here playing for Flip.

So I'm all in on Flip as our head coach. And I think Flip was all in on himself as head coach from the beginning, although I do think he was genuinely interested in Tom Izzo and Joerger so I was exaggerating a bit to stimulate some conversation. :).

[Jester1534]

You know everytime I hear Bennett's name in the trade I keep thinking why the hell didn't the Cavs Draft Oladipo you freakin idiots. Just think if they did.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

You know everytime I hear Bennett's name in the trade I keep thinking why the hell didn't the Cavs Draft Oladipo you freakin idiots. Just think if they did.

Or Noel. We'd be getting a much better package right now.

[Jester1534]

You know everytime I hear Bennett's name in the trade I keep thinking why the hell didn't the Cavs Draft Oladipo you freakin idiots. Just think if they did.

Or Noel. We'd be getting a much better package right now.

Yeah I didn't even think of him either, damn the Cavs are stupid.

[Lipoli390]

You know everytime I hear Bennett's name in the trade I keep thinking why the hell didn't the Cavs Draft Oladipo you freakin idiots. Just think if they did.

Good point, Jester. I'll expand a bit.

I don't think I have ever seen a luckier professional sports franchise than the Cavs during the Dan Gilbert era. Yet, I'm not sure I've ever seen a franchise so poorly run since the Wolves in the Bill Stein era. And that's saying something as someone who has been a Minnesota sports fan for decades. The Cavs have displayed a unique combination of incredible luck and stunning incompetence. Think about the following:

1. The greatest basketball talent in history, LeBron, happens to be born and raised in the Cleveland area and loves his home town. The Cavs then win the draft lottery the year LeBron enters the draft. Unbelievable luck. But the front office fails miserably to build a championship team around him over a period of years and members of the organization insanely whisper comments that echo the rising chorus of pundits and fans suggesting LeBron isn't a winner. They not only fail to defend him, they join those who idiotically and unfairly criticize him. Not surprisingly, LeBron leaves for Southbeach. And Adding another layer of incompetence when LeBron leaves, the Cavs' punk owner releases a scathing sophomoric letter publicly assassinating LeBron's character while simultaneously making the outrageous claim that the Cavs would win a championship before LeBron.

3. But Lady Luck returns to Cleveland again repeatedly after LeBron's departure as the Cavs win the draft Lottery three times in 4 years. An unbelievable stroke of luck. They also have several other lottery picks to go with those top picks. So who do they end up with? Well, they do have the good sense to pick Kyrie Irving with the first pick in a draft -- a draft with only one future star. Meanwhile, a franchise that has never even had a glimpse of Lady Luck gets the second pick, selects the consensus second pick and ends up with a bust. What else do the Cavs do? They use their #4 pick that same year on Tristan Thompson, which was a head-scratcher to most back then. They selected Waiters with a lottery pick over better options the next year. Then with their next #1 pick they confound everyone by taking Bennett when they could have selected Dipo among other much better options. Meanwhile they hire and fire coaches, have all sorts of internal squabbling and can't even make the playoffs in the East.

4. After squandering their incredible, improbable lottery opportunities, the Cavs again receive an unbelievable gift from Lady Luck when LeBron opts out in Miami and surprises most by returning to the Cavs, motivated by based love for his home town, not by any affection for the Cavs franchise. And by virtue of the improbable lottery luck that landed Wiggins in Cleveland, the Cavs are now in position to acquire Kevin Love to join LeBron without giving up Irving or Varejao, hence creating a powerhouse that would be more talented and younger than the Heat team that won two championships.

So as we sit here thinking that a Love for Wiggins deal will happen, my caution is to never underestimate the incompetence of the Cavs' organization and their ability to kick Lady Luck in the ass. You have to wonder why she continues to show up in Cleveland. :).

[Jester1534]

You know everytime I hear Bennett's name in the trade I keep thinking why the hell didn't the Cavs Draft Oladipo you freakin idiots. Just think if they did.

Good point, Jester. I'll expand a bit.

I don't think I have ever seen a luckier professional sports franchise than the Cavs during the Dan Gilbert era. Yet, I'm not sure I've ever seen a franchise so poorly run since the Wolves in the Bill Stein era. And that's saying something as someone who has been a Minnesota sports fan for decades. The Cavs have displayed a unique combination of incredible luck and stunning incompetence. Think about the following:

1. The greatest basketball talent in history, LeBron, happens to be born and raised in the Cleveland area and loves his home town. The Cavs then win the draft lottery the year LeBron enters the draft. Unbelievable luck. But the front office fails miserably to build a championship team around him over a period of years and members of the organization insanely whisper comments that echo the rising chorus of pundits and fans suggesting LeBron isn't a winner. They not only fail to defend him, they join those who idiotically and unfairly criticize him. Not surprisingly, LeBron leaves for Southbeach. And Adding another layer of incompetence when LeBron leaves, the Cavs' punk owner releases a scathing sophomoric letter publicly assassinating LeBron's character while simultaneously making the outrageous claim that the Cavs would win a championship before LeBron.

3. But Lady Luck returns to Cleveland again repeatedly after LeBron's departure as the Cavs win the draft Lottery three times in 4 years. An unbelievable stroke of luck. They also have several other lottery picks to go with those top picks. So who do they end up with? Well, they do have the good sense to pick Kyrie Irving with the first pick in a draft -- a draft with only one future star. Meanwhile, a franchise that has never even had a glimpse of Lady Luck gets the second pick, selects the consensus second pick and ends up with a bust. What else do the Cavs do? They use their #4 pick that same year on Tristan Thompson, which was a head-scratcher to most back then. They selected Waiters with a lottery pick over better options the next year. Then with their next #1 pick they confound everyone by taking Bennett when they could have selected Dipo among other much better options. Meanwhile they hire and fire coaches, have all sorts of internal squabbling and can't even make the playoffs in the East.

4. After squandering their incredible, improbable lottery opportunities, the Cavs again receive an unbelievable gift from Lady Luck when LeBron opts out in Miami and surprises most by returning to the Cavs, motivated by based love for his home town, not by any affection for the Cavs franchise. And by virtue of the improbable lottery luck that landed Wiggins in Cleveland, the Cavs are now in position to acquire Kevin Love to join LeBron without giving up Irving or Varejao, hence creating a powerhouse that would be more talented and younger than the Heat team that won two championships.

So as we sit here thinking that a Love for Wiggins deal will happen, my caution is to never underestimate the incompetence of the Cavs' organization and their ability to kick Lady Luck in the ass. You have to wonder why she continues to show up in Cleveland. :).

I completely agree lip, but the baseball guy would point this out that the number one pick for our twins happen to be lucky.

A man name Joe Mauer home growing kid was taking over Mark Prior with the number one pick and the Twins were Crucified for it. Like Mauer or hate him he has a chance at HoF and Mark Prior pitched only 3 good years of ball. So us as a state have been lucky with a guy actually being from our state.

As for Cavs management I do believe that they're that stupid but the Xfactor is LBJ what he wants he gets and I think it's pretty clear he wants to play with Love. If anything I think LBJ by making these comments and texts to love has put Cleveland in a box.

What I'm trying to say is the Cavs always pick Prior over Mauer