NBA trade news: Cavs may force big trade after crushing defeat against Warriors

The Cleveland Cavaliers could be forced to make trades before the deadline following their lopsided loss against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday.

The Warriors pulled off a convincing win in their NBA finals rematch against the Cavs with a 132-98 thrashing at Quickens Loan Arena. It was the second meeting of the two teams this season, but the result was nothing short of Cleveland’s failed attempt last year to win a championship.

But it was not just the loss against the defending champs that questioned the Cavs' ability to bounce back from last year’s Finals defeat.

A couple of days before their much-anticipated clash with the Warriors, the Cavs lost a close game against the San Antonio Spurs and won another tight match against the Dallas Mavericks prior to that. This suggests that while the Cavs are finally able to have a healthy lineup, they are still short of being a legitimate threat to other title contenders.

Michael Saenz of Sports Illustrated’s Fansided believes the Cavs should make a big move before the trade deadline to salvage their hopes of an NBA championship.

“The NBA Trade Deadline usually provides opportunity for many teams, including the Cavs. And Cleveland better take advantage of it this time around,” Saenz wrote. Saenz also noted that the Cavs are 1-5 against top teams like the Warriors, Spurs, Chicago Bulls, and the Toronto Raptors. Considering all of the Cavs’ inconsistencies against elite NBA clubs, a trade seems reasonable for last season’s Eastern Conference champs.

However, the Cavs do not have much resources to pull off a splash in the trading season, with the team well over the luxury tax line due to their $109 million payroll. Moreover, they do not have the trade pieces who could net them some serious help for their championship campaign. According to Jake O’Donnell of Sportsgrid, the Cavs could use Kevin Love as a trade bait for a game-changer who could help Lebron James in Cleveland.

O’Donnell revealed in his story that NBA reporter Stephen A Smith had been receiving text messages from unnamed coaches that the Cavs should consider firing David Blatt or trade Love before the deadline.

“It’s coming down to one or two scenarios,” Smith said, according to Sportsgrid. “Either David Blatt is going to have to go, and you’re going to have to get somebody in here who could coach on this level against these NBA coaches… or you’re going to have to get rid of Kevin Love and get somebody in here that can play on both sides of the ball.”

Love is averaging a double-double 15.6 points and 10.7 rebounds per game for the Cavs after recovering from a shoulder injury that sidelined him for the most part of the Cavs’ playoff run last year. However, his offense does not make up for his inefficiency on the defensive end.

While it would be easier for the Cavs to fire Blatt than deal with Love, Cleveland should probably take advantage of the situation to get rid of the All-Star forward’s five-year $110 million deal and get a top-talented defensive player from another team, although it would be hard to find takers for such a huge contract.