Kevin Love trade will happen if Cleveland Cavaliers lose finals, according to insider

The Cleveland Cavaliers could pull the trigger on a Kevin Love trade if they fail to repeat as NBA champions in June, according to a senior NBA insider. The All-Star forward signed a five-year, US$113 million (AU$150 million) contract with the Cavs before the 2015-16 season.

During last year's finals, Love struggled to make an impact against the Golden State Warriors and Draymond Green, tallying 8.5 points and 6.8 rebounds from 26.3 minutes on the floor. The former UCLA star started in five out of six Finals games and sat out of Cleveland's 120-90 blowout victory in Game 3 due to a concussion.

According to ESPN insider Kevin Pelton, the Cavs and Knicks could explore a possible swap between Carmelo Anthony and Love during the summer. The potential trade was discussed prior to February's NBA trade deadline until the Cavs reportedly rebuffed it. The Knicks also discussed a potential Carmelo Anthony trade with teams such as the Los Angeles Clippers and Boston Celtics. League insiders reckon Anthony would gladly waive his no-trade clause for a possible move to Cleveland, where he can partner with good friend LeBron James.

"A deal centred around Anthony and Cavaliers All-Star Kevin Love looks like the realistic best-case scenario for New York, given that Love is a better player right now and four years younger and will make about US$3.6 million (AU$4.78 million) less in 2017-18. Those are all reasons, of course, that Cleveland rebuffed the Knicks' interest in such a trade before the deadline according to ESPN's Marc Stein and Chris Haynes," Pelton wrote in his ESPN insider article published on Wednesday.

Kevin Love trade: Power forward under pressure to deliver in finals

The report added that Love potentially underperforming in the finals for a second consecutive year could force the Cavs to explore trades. "An ugly playoff loss offers New York the best hope of the Cavaliers changing their minds about Anthony. And while an early postseason exit might qualify, the best scenario is probably Cleveland reaching the NBA Finals but being unable to keep Love on the court against the Golden State Warriors because of his defensive limitations -- and the Cavs losing decisively."

It's not a foregone conclusion that Cavaliers will return to the finals for a third consecutive year. However, all signs point to Cavs and Warriors renewing their rivalry in June. "A Love-Anthony trade would be workable so long as Anthony agreed to waive part of his 15 percent trade bonus to facilitate it, but the Cavaliers would probably want something more from the Knicks -- draft picks or additional depth -- to even things up in terms of value. The worse Love's performance in Cleveland's playoff run, and the worse the Cavaliers lose, the more likely the teams are to find common ground."

Kevin Love, 28, is in the middle of his best season since joining the Cleveland Cavaliers, averaging 19.0 points and 11.1 rebounds during the regular season. The Minnesota Timberwolves traded Love to the Cavaliers ahead of the 2014-15 NBA season in exchange for former No. 1 overall picks Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett.