NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Possible Kevin Love Trade, Will Barton and More
You wouldn't think the same league that's lazily criticized as being too predictable would also be the one constantly teaching fans to expect the unexpected.
But good luck finding hoops fanatics who aren't glued to their seats for the duration of the NBA season.
The anything-goes aspect of today's batch of rumors speaks to the Association's mercurial nature. From trade chatter to fallout from a bout of on-court fisticuffs, this sample platter of buzz should satisfy any palate.
Kevin Love Trade Watch?
Well, this was sudden—and perhaps a touch predictable to those skeptical of the Cleveland Cavaliers' chances to retain relevance without LeBron James.
Back in July, Kevin Love was made the centerpiece of Cleveland's post-LeBron puzzle. The five-time All-Star said he was "very excited and obviously humbled" to score a four-year, $120 million extension, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Brian Windhorst.
But the castle is naturally crumbling without the King, and Love looks powerless to stop it. The team is 0-3 and less competitive than it sounds—the three losses have been decided by a combined 42 points. Love's counting categories are fine (20.7 points, 14.3 rebounds), but his shooting rates are atrocious (30.4 percent overall, 26.3 percent outside).
The way Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post sees it, the ingredients for a major deal could be coming together rapidly:
"Keep an eye on Kevin Love as the potential first major trade chip to be moved in the non-Jimmy Butler category. Yes, Love signed a long-term extension with Cleveland this summer. But as Blake Griffin showed last year, that just means he could be more attractive to another team as a trade chip.
The Cavaliers want to be competitive this season and Love can't even be moved until late January. But by then, Cleveland could be far outside the playoff picture—and Love, like Griffin last year, could be going elsewhere."
Cleveland appears in desperate need of a major rebuild, and as soon as it signs off on the project, it should move all win-now pieces to the trade block. Love's talent is sure to interest other clubs, but it'll be intriguing to see the impact of his contract. That's a lot of coin for someone who's never been the best player on a winning team, let alone someone who will turn 34 before the contract is up.
Will Barton Out More Than a Month?
The Denver Nuggets have surged out of the gates and into the No. 2 spot on NBA.com's power rankings.
But if they're going to sustain their early-season success, they'll have to do so minus a key contributor for the foreseeable future.
Starting swingman Will Barton injured his hip during the third quarter of Denver's win over the Phoenix Suns on Saturday. It'll be a while before he sees game action again.
He's going under the knife for surgery Tuesday "on his right hip area to repair the adductor muscle," a source told ESPN.com's Marc Spears. Barton is expected to be sidelined for five to six weeks.
The Nuggets survived their first test without Barton, toppling the champion Golden State Warriors at home on Sunday. But they'll miss Barton's attacking mindset, not to mention his contributions as a scorer, shooter, slasher and secondary playmaker.
The 27-year-old averaged career highs in points (15.7), assists (4.1) and player efficiency rating (16.2) last season. He signed a four-year, $53 million deal to stay in Denver this summer. Without him, the Nuggets will likely lean more heavily on Torrey Craig, Trey Lyles and Juan Hernangomez.
Rockets, Lakers Got Off Easy With Suspensions?
Punishment arrived Monday for the three players at the center of Saturday night's brawl between the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets. Brandon Ingram received a four-game suspension, Rajon Rondo was suspended for three and Chris Paul was sidelined for two contests.
Considering there were actual punches exchanged in this skirmish, the penalties felt on the lenient side, as multiple executives expressed to Spears:
"One Western Conference team executive believed Ingram would be suspended for at least six games for pushing Houston Rockets guard James Harden and attempting a haymaker on Paul. Another Western Conference team executive thought the league might have given Paul, president of the players union and a nine-time All-Star, a 'star call.'
"And an Eastern Conference team executive added that the punishment would not dissuade players from fighting again. 'Players will be more willing to throw hands for three games. It's not a deterrent,' the executive said."
The NBA has been more heavy-handed when dealing with fights before—a 2006 brawl between the New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets resulted in suspensions totaling 47 games—but league executive vice president Kiki VanDeWeghe said this punishment was lighter because nothing spilled into the stands.
"We obviously realize that missing multiple games was very costly to their teams, very costly to them financially," VanDeWeghe said, per Spears. "It's important that we judge each on their own merit, but we have to judge each one and deter players. This says quite clearly you can't fight, you can't throw a punch. And if it lands, it is going to be multiple games."
Those who didn't think the punishment went far enough, of course, could counter that there's quite a big difference between nine games and 47 of them.
But arguments aren't as important as what happens next. Will this deter anyone from throwing down in the future, or might we soon have new punishments to compare to these ones?
