Should the Cavs Trade for Melo?
LeBron James went on the record saying the Cavs are not a better team from a personnel standpoint than last year, and that they are very top heavy. In the past, this season LeBron has said more than once the team needs another point guard or ball handler after never replacing Dellavedova when he left for the Bucks in free agency. Could LeBron’s comment be a hint at trading for Melo, who is very publicly on the trading block in New York? The obvious piece the Cavs would have to give up is Kevin Love. Melo would have the waive his no trade clause, but he would do that instantly for the chance to play with LeBron and compete for a championship. What are the pros and cons of a Melo trade to Cleveland?
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Pros
1) Melo is an offensive superstar: The Cavs know there is a very good chance of meeting the Warriors in the finals, and the Warriors very well may be the best offensive team of all time. Not only are they the best offensive team in the league, but they also are first in steals and shots blocked, as well as opponents field goal percentage and opponents three-point percentage. If the Cavs are going to win, they need to be able to put up points at a very high level against an elite defense. Yes, Love is averaging nearly 21 points per game, but he is not the offensive player Melo is. Melo’s points are a little down at 22.6 per game this season, but make no mistake about it, he’s still one of the best offensive forces in the game. Love stretches the floor but Melo is an even better 3-point shooter and will certainly be more effective in transition. One area Cleveland will try to take advantage of Golden State on defense is trying to post up smaller defenders. Melo would be deadly in the post if he is matching up with, say, Klay Thompson?
2) Gives Cleveland another ball handler: No, Melo is not the point guard that LeBron is looking for, and they may still need to look for a backup point guard, but what Melo gives the Cavs is another ball handler. Love is a good passer for a big but he can’t handle the ball the way Melo can, as Melo plays more like a guard. Melo gives Cleveland another option at handling the ball outside of LeBron and Kyrie, which is especially crucial when either or both are on the bench.
3) Better matchup against death lineup: Golden State is most effective when they go small with their “death lineup” featuring Curry, Thompson, Iggy, Durant, and Green. Durant at the 4 and Green at the 5 is extremely tough to match up against because of their length and athleticism. Kevin Love gets lost having to defend a guy like Durant or Green which leads to quick bursts from Golden States offense. Melo has enough size to match up with these guys while be way more athletic than Love. Melo is not known for his defense, and neither is Love, but Melo is more likely to be able to stick with Durant or Green than Love. When Golden State goes small, the Cavs could match up with Melo at the 4 and Thompson at the 5, or even LeBron at the 4 and Melo at the 5. Melo by no means is a center in the NBA, but he is strong enough that he could hold his own against Green when Golden State goes small, and it allows Cleveland to go even smaller.
4) Another clutch time shooter: LeBron catches a lot of grief for often passing instead of taking the last shot in clutch moments. Kyrie loves the moment and is always happy to take the clutch shot. Melo would give Cleveland another option in clutch time, as he embraces the moment as much as Kyrie. With Kyrie, Melo, and LeBron all on the court at clutch time, you won’t be able to take away all 3 options.
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Cons
1) There is only one ball: This is what everyone said about Durant going to Golden State, but this is different. Golden State has probably the two most unselfish superstars in the game in Steph and Durant, and that leads to the entire team being the most unselfish team in the league. It would be a different story in Cleveland. LeBron is an unselfish player, but Kyrie and Melo are two guys who like to get their own and struggle without touches. At times the last couple years Kevin Love has gotten lost in the mix with hardly getting any touches, and he is less demanding of the ball than Melo. The Cavs finally seem to be completely clicking offensively among the big 3, and giving up Love would be giving up the chemistry and bringing in another ball dominant player that may have a difficult time acclimating himself to the offense.
2) Love is a better rebounder: Melo is a solid rebounder for a small forward, but he would be playing mostly power forward on the Cavs, and as a power forward he probably comes in a little below average. Meanwhile, Love is an elite rebounder and this year is averaging over 10 rebounds per game. With Love and Thompson crashing the offensive boards, the Cavs get a lot of 2nd chance points. This is one area where they were very effective the last two years in the finals against Golden State. With Melo, the Cavs would not be as good of a rebounding team and that will downgrade one of their best skills.
3) Still no defense: Love plays about as much defense as a cupcake, but in trading him for Melo, believe it or not you are still not upgrading on defense. Melo’s best defense is scoring more points on offense. Granted, he is more capable on defense than Love, and if he’s going to buy in and play defense for anyone it would be for his friend Lebron, but you can’t count on suddenly good defense in place of Love. Against teams that like to stay big, they’ll especially have a mismatch with Melo at the 4. In the off chance the Spurs get by the Warriors in the west, a player like LaMarcus Aldridge would have a field day against Melo.
4) Age: Trading for Melo would be making the Cavs significantly older. Kevin Love is 28 and still in his physical prime while Melo is 32 and is in the beginning stages of a decline. Trading for Melo would be shortening the championship window. With LeBron, Love, and Kyrie, even as Lebron ages he still has a younger Love and Kyrie to begin to shoulder more of the load. With Melo, all the extra pressure would fall on Kyrie as LeBron and Melo both age. The Cavs may be shortening their window for championships significantly while increasing their chances to win now.
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Conclusion: There is no doubt Melo brings another aspect to the Cavs that Kevin Love can’t, but it’s not necessarily the best move for them to make. Giving up Love would be giving up the several years of building chemistry and that does not come back quickly. The best thing the Cavs have going for them right now against the Warriors is continuity. By the time they are able to build the chemistry, LeBron and Melo will both be declining and the championship window will be closing. If this move was going to be made to improve championship chances, it should have been made in the offseason so the new big 3 would have all season to gel. A major mid-season shake up is one thing championship contending teams usually tries to avoid. While it would be a good move for New York to bring in a top-level talent for a misplaced Melo, it wouldn’t be the best move for Cleveland. Our take is that Cleveland should stay the course and try to add another point guard instead.
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