But, what would Wiggins be if he was on a team with LeBron, a team where he could have the luxury of being the 3rd offensive option and where winning was the focus of the team's mental makeup? I am not criticizing Minnesota, merely pointing out that when you play for a team with legit championship aspirations, it changes the feel of the locker room at the attitude of the players. I bet Wiggins would be developing in different ways, acquiring different skills and tendencies on the court, than what happens in Minnesota where the team is built around him and there is little room for him to learn on the job.
I have been one of the most vocal opponents of the Love-Wiggins trade. Though I think Love played considerably better in this Finals (and the rest of the season) than past ones in Cleveland, there is little question he has not lived up to the expectations that he would be one of the 20 best players in the NBA. I mean, is there anyone who thinks Love was better than the 7th best player in the finals? It is especially troubling that when Cleveland needed him most -- in game three, where the series was largely decided, and in game 5, when the Warriors closed it out -- Love was at his worst (7.5 ppg, 3-17 FGs, 1-10 3FGs). The brighter the stage, the dimmer his light shines. He's the anti-Kyrie in that regard.
In the next couple months, Cleveland will deal Kevin Love, they almost have to. So, the bottom line to all this is simple... if Cleveland had the cap space to make a Love for Wiggins trade right now, does anyone think Minnesota would even begin to make that deal? They would laugh hysterically and slam down the phone.
Here's a good question -- who could you trade for Love who makes a similar salary? Love makes $21.1 mil.
Here are the players who make between $20 and $22.2 million... which of them could you trade for Love?
Chandler Parsons, SF $22,116,750
Bradley Beal, SG $22,116,750
Anthony Davis, PF $22,116,750
Derrick Rose, PG $21,323,252
Marc Gasol, C $21,165,675
Brook Lopez, C $21,165,675
Kevin Love, PF $21,165,675
Nicolas Batum, SG $20,869,566
LaMarcus Aldridge, PF $20,575,005
Blake Griffin, PF $20,140,839
Paul Millsap, PF $20,072,033
I think a trade for Parsons, Rose, and maybe Batum or Lopez would go through. The rest of these teams laugh at the notion of a straight up deal for Love, right? Says something about whether Love is really worth the money they are paying him.
-Jason "and I haven't even gotten into the fact that Wiggins makes $15 mil less than Love, giving the Cavs room to make deals or bring in additional solid bench players" Evans