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Bye Bye Wiggins……….(a Cleveland fans' perspective)

It must have felt like Christmas in July in Cleveland when LeBron James announced his return home to theCavaliers, after a four year hiatus in Miami. As quickly as the holidays come, they go. The mainstream media has already moved on from James' return and are now focused on the Cavaliers' "must-win now" mentality and the possibility of trading this year's number one overall pick, potential superstar in waiting, Andrew Wiggins to Minnesota for Kevin Love. The deal would most likely contain 2013 number one overall pick Anthony Bennett as well other contracts and other future first round pick(s).

With the trade looming, the agent for Anthony Bennett, Jeff Schwartz, has decided to pull him from the Toronto Pro-Am game.

With the Cavs apparently the only team talking to Minnesota, we can assume a deal is imminent once the 30-day moratorium is lifted following Andrew Wiggins signing his rookie deal. There are even reports that a handshake is in place.

Retweeted by Chris Petras · 7h

The Cavs and Timberwolves have a handshake agreement on a Kevin Love deal, per :

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It’s hard for me to intellectualize why I think that Andrew Wiggins should NOT be made available in any trade. It's just a gut feeling. Even if that trade eradicates their chance of obtaining All-Star power forward, Kevin Love.


Does Love to Cleveland make the Cavs better this year? Definitely. Love would fit well next to LeBron, stretching the floor and hitting 3's while pulling down boards on the defensive side of the ball. However, at what price does that possible "rental" become too high. I have learned from my time watching Cleveland sports that nothing is guaranteed. There are NO certainties.

As Cleveland sports fans, we have dealt with disappointment and heartache time and time again. The expectations for success are limited by our close relationship with our teams and their failures. The Cleveland Browns and their fight until the end mentality gave us hope that it was never over until the last whistle. "The Drive" and "The Fumble" at the hands of the Denver Broncos and John Elway have left a painful memory, one that lies just beneath the surface and is conjured up anytime our Cleveland sports teams are in the "Heat" of battle. These horrendous defeats have gone into Sports Hall of Shame as monumental collapses. These memories, as painful as they may be, are overshadowed by the ultimate betrayal. The Browns former owner Art Modell moving our long storied Browns Franchise to Baltimore where the newly tagged Ravens would go on to win a Super Bowl just 5 years removed from their time on the Erie Shore. Disappointment is at the heart of who we are. It defines us and our relationship with sports.

But I digress….This is a Cavaliers blog!

Is LeBron James likely to be wearing #23 for the Cavaliers in 2017? I believe so. But after Paul George of the Indiana Pacers broke his leg scrimmaging for a FIBA tournament in Spain; nothing is definite.

Will Love sign an extension with the Cavs? Maybe. I don't think Kevin Love knows what Kevin Love will do between now and next summer when his current contract expires. The NBA landscape will be drastically different. Ask theMiami Heat if they liked their chances to return to the 2015 NBA finals back in June. Bet they feel a little different about everything today. The same goes for the Indiana Pacers after losing their superstar Paul George as well asLance Stephenson in free agency. And hey, doesn't anybody remember Carlos Boozer and his handshake (wink wink)? I realize that the Kevin Love situation is completely different since he's expecting a max contract but maybe it's not about the money. Cleveland once had a prodigal son who took his talents elsewhere, and it wasn't about the money.

What type of contract would Love be interested in signing? Without James committed long term what guarantee could he give Love that would convince him to sign the five-year max. He probably would have a player option for the last two years so he could opt out immediately if LeBron's skills declined due to a catastrophic injury or because of a necessary departure due to his precarious relationship with Dan Gilbert.

There are no guarantees, period. So is a possible "rental" for immediate help worth the best high school prospect since LeBron James himself? I think that's a lot to ask. Especially since we can control Wiggins rights for the next 7-9 years at a very flexible, moderate rookie price tag. Think about it. LeBron can be Mister Miyagi to Wiggins' Daniel-san, and show him the preparation and the sacrifices that must be made in order to take your game to the next level. With his talents and LeBron's guidance, Wiggins play could resemble that of finals MVP Kawhi Leonard. He has similar abilities to make a difference on both ends of the court without the coach calling plays for him.

Another major issue if the Wiggins-Love trade goes through is how Cleveland will be able to fill out their roster with serviceable backups. The projected salary cap numbers for 2015-16 are estimated at $66.5 million with the luxury tax threshold at $81.0 million. LeBron, Love and Kyrie Irving would account for $54.78 million of the 2015-16 salary.If Dion Waiters and Tristan Thompson are on the books that puts the Cavs at or over the cap with only five players. That would leave 14-18 million to use before they are over the luxury tax threshold and would significantly hinder how the Cavs can build around them.

If there is one example of max contracts destroying the ability to put pieces around your stars it would be the New York Knicks prior to Phil Jackson's arrival. The Knicks top three contracts for the 2014-15 season are a combined $57.37 million., which is very equivalent to what the Cavs could expect in 2015. Those three contracts make it very difficult to build around Camelo Anthony. They have to wait until Amare Stoudemire's and Andrea Barnani's contracts come off the books before they can seriously consider adding any real complimentary pieces to be competitive among the NBA's elite teams.

I really do believe that LeBron is committed to Cleveland for the long haul and I know that the time to win is now in LeBron’s prime, but it was his words in his letter….

I’m not promising a championship. I know how hard that is to deliver. We’re not ready right now. No way. Of course, I want to win next year, but I’m realistic. It will be a long process, much longer than it was in 2010. My patience will get tested. I know that. I’m going into a situation with a young team and a new coach. I will be the old head. But I get a thrill out of bringing a group together and helping them reach a place they didn’t know they could go. I see myself as a mentor now and I’m excited to lead some of these talented young guys.

LeBron knows what it will take to get to the mountaintop and the process with Wiggins shouldn't and wouldn't be instantaneous. There have been comparisons made that Wiggins game could reflect that of Scottie Pippen. If Wiggins can perform at a similar level the Cavaliers would be in a great position to succeed. Imagine Wiggins lock down defense creating the turnover, passing to Lebron and then back to Wiggins for the flush. The highlights would be the lead story on ESPN.

I think there is a better comparison - Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers. Both were spectacular guards coming out of high school and entered the NBA at a very early age. Kobe was 18 years old as a rookie and by the time he was 20 he was contributing major starter's minutes. In the 1999-2000 season, at 21, he helped to lead the Lakers to their first of 3 straight championships (see below). Some might say that Kobe only accomplished this feat because he had Shaquille O'Neal. Well who would you rather have in their prime….Shaq Diesel or King James? The decision is an easy one for me. I take the guy who can play four positions and averages 27.5 pts, 7.2 reb, and 6.8 ast per game.

96-'97 71 6 15.5 2.5-5.9 .417 0.7-1.9 .375 1.9-2.3 .819 0.7 1.2 1.9 1.3 0.3 0.7 1.4 1.6 7.6
'97-'98 79 1 26.0 4.9-11.6 .428 0.9-2.8 .341 4.6-5.8 .794 1.0 2.1 3.1 2.5 0.5 0.9 2.3 2.0 15.4
'98-'99 50 50 37.9 7.2-15.6 .465 0.5-2.0 .267 4.9-5.8 .839 1.1 4.2 5.3 3.8 1.0 1.4 3.1 3.1 19.9
'99-'00 66 62 38.2 8.4-17.9 .468 0.7-2.2 .319 5.0-6.1 .821 1.6 4.7 6.3 4.9 0.9 1.6 3.3 2.8 22.5

Wiggins may not become the scorer and facilitator that Bryant was. But if he can come into his own, contribute like Pippen did for Jordan, and develop at a similar time length of time as Bryant, then the Cavs can expect big things from him very quickly. Wiggins will turn 20 in February of this coming season. It might take a couple years but Kobe didn't have LeBron James, or anyone remotely comparable as a mentor.

You never know what will come. I guess that is also the best argument for trading for Kevin Love. Live in this moment and do all that you can for THIS year. Don’t worry about how the trade affects our ability to draft young talent. Don’t worry if Love is just a rental. Don’t worry if Wiggins is the next superstar in the league playing elsewhere. But this is Cleveland, how do we not expect the worst.

The roster we have now is arguably better than the rosters that fought against the Boston Celtics in ‘07-08. I think that the team assembled today would put up a much better fight than the team that LeBron led in '07-'08 with the likes ofDamon Jones, Sasha Pavlovic and an aging Ben Wallace, Wally Szcerbiak and Big Z. Not to mention how bringing in Kevin Love weakens our bench, future draft picks and the ability to sign free agents.

Three guys can’t do it alone. That’s why the Heat only won it twice in four championship appearances. Look at the 2008 Boston Celtics lineup. It wasn't just the Big-3. They had major contributions from a young Rajon Rondo, James Posey, and Leon Powe. Up and coming Glen Davis and Tony Allen played big minutes too. Even P.J. Brown had big games against the Cavs and Lakers. It was a team game - TEAM. It takes 12 guys to play important minutes in the playoffs and win a championship.

How will LBJ carry the load five years from now with another possible 410 regular season games as well as 15-25 postseason games per year. Doesn’t a younger, deeper bench give LeBron better legs for a playoff push over more years? As LeBron slows down as he approaches 35 years of age, he probably will require playing more power forward to lengthen his time on the court. Now that's Love's natural position and unless he improves his defense, moving him to center is not a viable option.

Patience is a virtue and I think the Cavs should bide their time. There is so much athleticism on this team. After watching Summer League in Las Vegas you could see that Anthony Bennett’s potential has not yet been unlocked. After a some hard work over the past couple months he showed off his potential. Not only can he run the lanes but he can get after rebounds and hit the deep three. Reggie Miller is right; he will have a break out season.

So if I am LeBron James I would probably be pulling for a Wiggins-Love trade. It gives LeBron the best chance to win in his prime. At least for one year.

If I am the Cleveland Cavaliers organization, I'm against any trade that includes Andrew Wiggins because the organization has a potential superstar that could take the baton from LeBron over the next decade and make this his team as he approaches his thirties and into his prime. That is the stuff that dynasties are built on.

And let's not forget that LeBron came home for LeBron and to make his image whole again. His legacy was forever tarnished by his departure to Miami and chasing rings. HIs return as much as we would like to think it was about us and our community, and to some degree it was. We need to consider that there is much weighed and calculated by the people in LeBron's camp in determining his path. I just hope that the Cavs organization doesn't feel handcuffed to appease "the king" for the quick fix.

Does one championship quench our thirst? How about 2? 4? Because I think they could be looking at the latter if they have LeBron, Wiggins and Kyrie for a decade. Chess masters anticipate many moves down the road. An NBA GM doesn't have chess skills in his arsenal. They need fast results to appear the sage and continue working for the same organization.

It's my hope that this doesn't go down in Cleveland lore as "The Trade."