LOVE TO THE CAVS IN A 3-TEAM, 6-PLAYER SWAP
In a three-team trade: the Cleveland Cavaliers acquired power forward Kevin Love from the Minnesota Timberwolves; Minnesota acquired swingman Andrew Wiggins and combo forward Anthony Bennett from Cleveland, plus combo forward Thaddeus Young from the Philadelphia 76ers and a Trade Exception worth $6.3 million; and Philadelphia acquired a 2015 1st-round draft pick from Cleveland, plus swingman Alexey Shved and combo forward Luc Mbah a Moute from Minnesota.
What does it give the Cleveland Cavaliers
In Love, the Cavs land arguably the NBA's best all-round power forward. He's an ideal fit for Cleveland's new-look squad, since he can take rebounding pressure off {P LeBron James} and he can spread the floor for {P Kyrie Irving} with his outside shooting. The Cavs are expected to play a team-first, spread-out style under new head coach {B David Blatt} so Love is a perfect fit. Love's also in his prime, making him an ideal 'Big Three' member with James and Irving. This makes Cleveland a title contender--and possible favorite--right away.
What does it give the Minnesota Timberwolves
Losing Love has to hurt for the T-Wolves, but it was clear he wasn't going to re-sign with them and Minny gets a very strong package of young players here in return. Wiggins is obviously the gem; he was the first overall pick of a very deep recent NBA Draft, and can be a two-way superstar eventually. Meanwhile Young is an above-average NBA starter, and Bennett has the potential to still be a star. Add in the Trade Exception (which lets the Timberwolves trade for a player or players over the next year for up to $6.3 million without having to move money the other way), and it's a good all-round deal for Minny.
What does it give the Philadelphia 76ers
On the court this isn't a good swap for the 76ers, but on paper it makes sense because it frees up a lot of money next year for this rebuilding squad. Moreover, the first-round draft pick will help the Sixers keep stockpiling emerging talent for the future. Young could have stayed in Philly for two more campaigns (at over $9 million for next season alone), and the contracts of Mbah a Moute and Shved both come off the books after next season. Mbah a Moute and Shved have both been role players so far in the NBA, so talent-wise this is a downgrade in the short term for Philly.
Fantasy impact
Love's fantasy value will probably take a minor hit with this deal, since he'll have to share the ball with two other superstars (in LeBron and Irving). With that in mind, the fantasy fortunes of James and Irving also decline a little (especially in the rebounding department for LeBron, who should be on the perimeter more often now). In Minnesota, look for center {P Nikola Pekovic} to take on a bigger role as a scorer and rebounder, and for Wiggins and Bennett to experience some growing pains early on. This deal probably hurts the respective fantasy values of Timberwolves {P Kevin Martin} and {P Corey Brewer}, but look for newcomer Young to be as productive as usual. On the 76ers, expect Shved and Mbah a Moute to both push for some starts (both mostly at small forward, competing with {P Hollis Thompson}), and for {P Nerlens Noel} to be locked into solid minutes at power forward soon.
