NBA Trades 2014: Cavs’ No.1 Pick For LaMarcus Aldridge, Al Horford & Kevin Love, Joakim Noah
The Cleveland Cavaliers are open to use their no.1 overall pick for an established young All-Star big man, such Kevin Love of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Joakim Noah of the Chicago Bulls and the Al Horford of the Atlanta Hawks.
After shocking the entire basketball world by winning the lottery several weeks ago, the Cavs are still trying to figure out what to do with the first overall pick in a very loaded NBA Draft.
According to latest buzz around the association, the Cavs are contemplating on trading away their first overall selection for a veteran big man. Kansas standouts Joel Embiid and Andrew Wiggins along with Duke's Jabbari Parker are the clear-cut top-3 picks in this draft. However, the Cavs are not ready to commit with any of these young players, as they try to nab an even bigger star on the trading front.
"We have to keep our options open," a source told Ford of ESPN NBA. "Once you commit, your hands are tied. The good thing about the No. 1 pick is that you have lots of options. Embiid is a great prospect and he might very well be the choice at No. 1. But until you see all three and, more importantly, until we understand the trade market, it just makes no sense to make any promises."
The Cavs are reportedly looking into the possibility of salvaging a trade that would get them Love, Horford, Aldridge or Noah.
"But I think the Cavs' preferred route would to be a trade that thins out their roster and adds a young veteran who could immediately lift the Cavs' long-term chances. The Minnesota Timberwolves' Kevin Love has been the most often mentioned pickup. But the Cavs also have their eye on several other bigs, including the Chicago Bulls' Joakim Noah, the Portland Trail Blazers' LaMarcus Aldridge and the Atlanta Hawks' Al Horford," Ford stated.
In the latest chat session on ESPN Sports Nation, Ford again tackled the Cavs' aspiration for a surefire All-Star in exchange for their no.1 overall pick. And again, he believed the Cavs will field calls about trading their biggest draft asset for Noah and Aldridge, though he didn't think a first-team player like Noah will be moved this time.
"I think fans in Chicago, Atlanta and Portland are asking ... would our teams really trade Noah, Horford or Aldridge for the No. 1 pick? I know this is an incredible draft class. But it's hard to trade an established, young veteran All-Star for an unknown. Of the three teams, I think the Hawks are the most open to making a deal. They know they have to totally remake this team to avoid mediocrity. Portland would probably be next. I'd be shocked if the Bulls gave up on Noah," Ford said.
It's going to be an interesting couple of weeks for the Cavs. This year's draft will be loaded with superstar-caliber talents while the opportunity available on the free-agency and trade market is vast.