Clippers Trade Rumors: Cavs' Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson Discussed by LA

The Los Angeles Clippers have reportedly considered making moves for Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson ahead of Thursday's trade deadline.

Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated reported Love is not a "preferred option," while some in the Clippers front office want to target Thompson for his rebounding ability. Dewayne Dedmon, Robert Covington and Andre Iguodala are also among the names they're discussing.

Like most teams, the Clippers' discussions regarding Love likely ended quickly after they realized what it would take to bring on his contract. L.A. would need to find matching salaries for Love's $28.9 million in 2019-20—a deal that would probably be a four-for-one swap—and take on the three years and $91.5 million remaining on his contract.

That alone is a nonstarter, especially given the fact that Love would not fortify their defense in the middle.

Thompson is a worse player than Love by a sizable margin, but he's also more attainable and a better fit. The Clippers could offer Maurice Harkless, Rodney McGruder and perhaps a couple of second-round draft choices to see if that entices Cleveland. They could increase the offer to their 2020 first-round pick, though they would likely prefer to keep that for a second move to add wing depth.

Thompson is averaging a career-high 11.9 points and 10.4 rebounds through 48 games. Adding him to the rotation would allow the Clippers to play with a traditional center for all 48 minutes if they want, which would be critical in matchups against the Utah Jazz and/or Denver Nuggets. The Clippers' rebounding tends to dip when Montrezl Harrell plays the small-ball 5. 

Thompson is an impending free agent, and the Clippers would retain his Bird rights this summer. The 28-year-old spends a lot of time in Los Angeles during the offseason, and it's possible he'd take a bit of a discount to stay close to the daughter he has with reality star Khloe Kardashian.