If Koby Altman was a blogger, trading Kevin Love would be easy

Some see a roster as it is and say Why?  Others see a roster as it could be and say Why Not?  Then they write blogs about it.

There was an article last week proposing a trade of Kevin Love and Collin Sexton for Michael Porter Jr and Gary Harris. Unless you believe that Koby Altman is perusing the internet every day for trade ideas, this sort of story is irrelevant.  If a trade like this were remotely possible, a phone call would have already been made between the Cavaliers and the Nuggets. This is not to say it will never happen, only that whatever circumstances would be required to make this trade realistic do not exist at this moment.

So, why do we read these things? Why does the idea that someone who writes a blog mentions Michael Porter coming to the Cavs make me, oddly, happy? It is true that these conversations have evolved from speculation that the Cavs would need to include draft picks to entice teams to take Love off their hands, to trade rumors that Love would be swapped for expiring contracts, such as Hassan Whiteside, that would relieve the Cavs of their financial burden sooner without adding any real talent.

Now, though, there is a rumor of a swap involving Love and Porter, a player who could, as the article suggests, be a core member of the Cavaliers for the next decade. Until he injured his back early in his freshman year at Missouri, Porter was mentioned in the same breath as Deandre Ayton and Marvin Bagley as a potential first overall pick in the 2018 draft. As it was, he was chosen fourteenth overall, six spots after Sexton was chosen by the Cavs.

Porter sat out his rookie year, and he was on the fringes of the Nuggets’ rotation this year, ranking eleventh on the team in total minutes. Still, he is shooting over 42% on three-pointers this season, and has played both forward positions, despite being 6’10”. His athleticism, combined with that of Kevin Porter Jr, would give the Cavs a dimension that has been lacking for a long time, even in the LeBron years.

There were other details to the trade, but they were filler, mostly. I honestly don’t know if I would rather have Harris or Sexton. Harris is not a good shooter and he makes twenty million a year.  But he is bigger than Sexton and a good defender,  which might make him a better fit next to Darius Garland.

Long-term, though, this deal would be Kevin Love for Michael Porter Jr, which, if nothing else, is evidence that somebody out there thinks a Love trade might yield something of real value. Unless Koby Altmann is reading that blog (or this one) and is inspired to take action, that fact is about as useful as one hand clapping.

Just in case Altman is getting trade ideas from bloggers, I have it on good authority (actually, my cousin) that the Warriors should consider offering the first pick in the draft for Love.  Make it happen, Koby.

Would the Warriors be dumb enough to actually do that?  No way.  But the Knicks?  Watch this space.