Golden State Warriors NBA Draft: Judging a proposed trade for Kevin Love

Kevin Love has found himself in trade talks with the Golden State Warriors. Is he worth the No. 2 NBA Draft pick?

The NBA Draft is a few days away and the Golden State Warriors still find themselves heavily involved in trade talks as we approach the big night. One rumor that has caught my eye recently is a reported deal featuring Kevin Love and Draymond Green.

We know that the Cleveland Cavaliers have been looking to move Love since… well since they acquired him back in the summer of 2014. It should come as no surprise that with both the Dubs and Cavs looking to make moves in the offseason – their paths have crossed once again.

Only this time, the two franchises won’t be battling in the NBA Finals. Instead, they will be negotiating a three-team deal that sends Love to the Warriors and Green to an undisclosed third team. It’s assumed the No. 2 pick in the draft would be featured as well, though the full details have not been reported.

Right away, we can call this proposed deal a loss for the Warriors. I’m sorry, but there is no world in which swapping Green for Love is a good idea. Regardless of what the rest of this deal looks like, Green is infinitely more valuable to what the Warriors look to do than Love.

Sure, Love is a better 3-point shooter and can offer some much-needed spacing in the frontcourt. However, with Andre Iguodala and Kevin Durant both gone – the Warriors NEED Green’s defensive versatility more than ever.

There is simply no way the Warriors would be open to losing Green in exchange for Love – who hasn’t exactly looked elite since LeBron James left Cleveland in 2018. Because of this, don’t expect this deal to become a reality anytime soon. Instead, the Warriors will look elsewhere on draft night to pull off a game-changing trade.