Houston finally gets their third star
Cavaliers receie: Ryan Anderson, Zhou Qi, 2019, 2021 first-round picks, 2020, 2021 second-round picks, right to swap 2023 first-round pick
Rockets receive: Kevin Love
It’s no secret Daryl Morey wants a third star to pair with James Harden and Chris Paul. He’s been wanting a third star since Dwight Howard was still in Houston, and also still considered a star. Love would be a huge upgrade over Ryan Anderson, who really only provides the Rockets with the floor spacing they rely on so much.
Love would provide the same spacing while adding a terrific rebounder to a team that finished in the bottom half of the league in that category last season. He would once again be required to be a third option but with Chris Paul and James Harden running the offense instead of Kyrie Irving and Lebron James he may see his shot total increase from previous seasons.
It seems like a no-brainer for the Rockets. The thing is, Houston is completely devoid of any young talent, Cleveland’s haul is going to consist of mostly draft picks. Adding Love to a core of Paul and Harden, who are both locked up for the foreseeable future will almost certainly guarantee those draft picks will be in the 20-30 range.
The Cavaliers may balk at the idea of losing an established star for a couple end of the round draft picks. The sweetener would be the rights to swap in 2023. Harden will be 33 before the season tips off, Paul will be 38, if even still in the league. The Cavaliers will have been rebuilding for five seasons and should have some established talent by then.
The pick swap may end up being the most valuable piece of the trade, apart from Love himself. Plus, the Lakers will likely have to go through the Rockets if they want to make the Western Conference Finals. Who wouldn’t want to see Lebron have to go through the teammate he left behind?