The Love-Melo trade

[bleedspeed]

The Love-Melo trade

Knicks send: Carmelo Anthony to Cleveland
Wolves send: Tyus Jones to Cleveland; Shabazz Muhammad, Gorgui Dieng, Nikola Pekovic and No. 5 pick to New York
Cavs send: Kevin Love to Minnesota

Why the Knicks do it: Melo loves the Knicks. But he's 31 years old. The Knicks are not going to be contenders anytime soon. If he's ever going to get a shot at being a major contributor to a championship team, it's now. I think the Cavs are one team for which he'd be willing to waive his no-trade clause.

The Knicks, in the meantime, would pick up significant pieces at multiple positions. Dieng is a 26-year-old center. Muhammad would add scoring punch off the bench and with the No. 5 pick, New York could bring back a talented young guard like Kris Dunn or Jamal Murray.

The Knicks would be younger and better in the long run.

Why the Cavs do it: Kevin Love hasn't been the fit the Cavs had hoped for, although his workmanlike performance in Sunday's Game 7 made the case for the Cavs bringing him back. But if Cleveland isn't sold on Love as a key part of its future, adding Melo to the mix, a player LeBron James has coveted for a while, would give the Cavs another strong scoring option that plays with more versatility than Love.

Melo is older than Love, but the Cavs' window with LeBron is another two to three years. Melo should keep contributing at a high level for that long.

Why the Wolves do it: The Timberwolves dumped Love two summers ago to get younger, and it paid off. Andrew Wiggins was the direct result of the trade, and Karl-Anthony Towns was the indirect result.

But now that Minnesota has its two young cornerstones in place, Love looks like a terrific fit in between Wiggins and Towns. He isn't a great defender, which may give the Wolves pause, but I think he'd flourish back in Minnesota.

http://espn.go.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/16320627/nba-draft-trades-love-see-featuring-demarcus-cousins-carmelo-anthony-kevin-love-more

[Monster]

If Love didn't work why would Melo be any better? Serious question.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

If Love didn't work why would Melo be any better? Serious question.

He's a great isolation player. Maybe Cleveland loads up on that style of basketball with Carmelo -- along with LeBron and Kyrie -- while having a 3/D wing and scrappy big man surrounding them. Melo's a guy you can give the ball and say, "Go get a bucket on your own." Love's more of a system player. Put him in some offensive flow and he can be dominant. The Cavs have shown that they don't want to play that way.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Let me see if I understand the proposed transaction. We can acquire Kevin Love's 6 PPG in the final 4 games of the championship series, his all-pro defense, and his leadership and all-around positive locker room presence...and all we have to give up for all that is Shabazz, Gorgui, Tyus, Pek and the 5th pick in the draft? Hmm...enticing. But...

http://giphy.com/gifs/reaction-david-tennant-nope-tTDx85WvHhaaA

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

When I at first pondered 'Melo on Cleveland it didn't make sense. If Love struggled being a 3rd wheel, how would a guy whose entire identity is built around being a scorer do in that situation?

But here's the catch: Perhaps LeBron would be willing to take on full-time PG duties and totally defer to Irving and 'Melo as the top two scoring options. Defensively, LeBron and Melo are nearly interchangeable, both accustomed to playing either forward position and having the size/strength to rebound like most PFs.

Carmelo to Cleveland is an interesting idea, whether Minnesota is involved or not.

[Monster]

When I at first pondered 'Melo on Cleveland it didn't make sense. If Love struggled being a 3rd wheel, how would a guy whose entire identity is built around being a scorer do in that situation?

But here's the catch: Perhaps LeBron would be willing to take on full-time PG duties and totally defer to Irving and 'Melo as the top two scoring options. Defensively, LeBron and Melo are nearly interchangeable, both accustomed to playing either forward position and having the size/strength to rebound like most PFs.

Carmelo to Cleveland is an interesting idea, whether Minnesota is involved or not.

Jalen Rose said the other day Lebron's best position is PF. So the Cavs trade Love for a PF/SF hybrid that dos alot of what Lebron is good at in Melo? Lebron just playing PG role seems like a disaster waiting to happen (hyperbole). When the series turned is when Lebron started being aggressive offensively and he and Kyrie went bonkers on GS. I don't know if I by Lebron playing as the PG on a team is the way to go anymore. Im not suggesting he goes full bore get the hell out of my way and score (we know he doesn't want to do that anyway) but I don't think you want to put Lebron in a scenario were its too easy for him to be passive. For pete's sake the Cavs should have used Love more in isolation than they did. I don't see it being better Love still has the theoretical game to be a complimentary player. Melo? I defend the guy quite a bit actually but that not really his game.

[TRKO [enjin:12664595]]

I think the Celtics would be a much better partner for the Cavs. Get a high pick and some quality role players while the Celtics get their centerpiece. Love isn't suited for third wheel role player. He needs to be an offensive priority to be worthwhile for a team.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

I think the Celtics would be a much better partner for the Cavs. Get a high pick and some quality role players while the Celtics get their centerpiece. Love isn't suited for third wheel role player. He needs to be an offensive priority to be worthwhile for a team.

I agree that Love would likely be more effective in Boston than Cleveland, but I cant see the Cavs trading Love for a pick. They just won a championship, and are going to be hungry for more next year. Plus the fans will remember they traded Wig for Love, and aren't going to be happy with Wig turning into Kris Dunn.

[bleedspeed]

I love the idea of Melo with Cavs. I think Love is a fit with Celtics, but do the Knicks want to make a 3 team trade in the east?

[AbeVigodaLive]

When I at first pondered 'Melo on Cleveland it didn't make sense. If Love struggled being a 3rd wheel, how would a guy whose entire identity is built around being a scorer do in that situation?

But here's the catch: Perhaps LeBron would be willing to take on full-time PG duties and totally defer to Irving and 'Melo as the top two scoring options. Defensively, LeBron and Melo are nearly interchangeable, both accustomed to playing either forward position and having the size/strength to rebound like most PFs.

Carmelo to Cleveland is an interesting idea, whether Minnesota is involved or not.

Jalen Rose said the other day Lebron's best position is PF. So the Cavs trade Love for a PF/SF hybrid that dos alot of what Lebron is good at in Melo? Lebron just playing PG role seems like a disaster waiting to happen (hyperbole). When the series turned is when Lebron started being aggressive offensively and he and Kyrie went bonkers on GS. I don't know if I by Lebron playing as the PG on a team is the way to go anymore. Im not suggesting he goes full bore get the hell out of my way and score (we know he doesn't want to do that anyway) but I don't think you want to put Lebron in a scenario were its too easy for him to be passive. For pete's sake the Cavs should have used Love more in isolation than they did. I don't see it being better Love still has the theoretical game to be a complimentary player. Melo? I defend the guy quite a bit actually but that not really his game.

Yes. LeBron finishing his career as a PF has been in the works for awhile now. He's one of the biggest physical freaks we've ever seen. He's been priming his body for a 20 year career since the turn of the century. But he has A LOT of miles on that body right now.

He has the size and strength to move inside a bit more and continue to dominate from there. Heck, he's already doing that more and more.

Consider him and Blake Griffin. There are similarities there.