LASH Roundtable: 5 Burning NBA Offseason Questions

Apr 4, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love (42) is pressured by Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) during the second half at American Airlines Arena. The Minnesota Timberwolves won in 2 overtimes 122-121. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Khoury: As I alluded to in my answer to the first question, only serious injuries could derail a LeBron/Kyrie/Love juggernaut. I don’t care how special the Cavs think Andrew Wiggins can be–unless he’s another rookie LeBron or Durant (and there’s no indication that he’s THAT special), they HAVE to trade him for Love. That trio would remain favorites to win an NBA championship every season, barring serious injuries or an unexpected free agency departure. David Griffin has to make this trade happen–LeBron is almost 30, so the Cavs have to take advantage of his prime NOW.

Gold: First of all, LeBron is the GM of the Cavs. Second of all, I would wait on Love. The Timberwolves have no leverage unless the Warriors include Klay Thompson in their package (they’re not). The Cavs will have the opportunity to get Kevin Love sometime during the season when they’ll better know what Andrew Wiggins is bringing to the table. Here’s a better question: Would you rather have a Love/Irving/LeBron combo or a Love/Wiggins/LeBron combo? I know the question may sound preposterous, especially considering that we’ve never seen Wiggins play, but I really don’t know how Irving and LeBron fit together. Wiggins may ultimately be a better fit along with Kevin Love. Would Minnesota swap Love for Irving and a 2015 first round pick?

Shaked: First off, I love the fact that nobody looks at this from Minnesota’s point of view. But to the point, show me the dotted line. This new Cavs core is built to contend NOW, meaning this year and the next two or three, and there are only a handful of guys that can get you 25-and-10 on a nightly basis. I laugh when people knock Love for not yet making the playoffs in six seasons as a pro. He was playing under one of the worst GMs the league has ever seen in an imbalanced Western Conference. If you can make Kevin Love your third option on offense without giving up actual realized production, you do it. If there’s one thing we’ve learned from the Miami Heat experience it’s that you will win with three max players (one of them being LeBron), no matter the roster filler. Wiggins has an incredible ceiling, but he may not get close to it until LeBron is 33 and in his 14th or 15th season. Waiting until the season worries me because a rocky start to Wiggins’ NBA career could scare away Flip Saunders.

You know how I know I’m right? Coach K said so.