GM says Cavs don't intend to trade Kevin Love
Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin said Kevin Love isn't, nor ever was, on the trading block.
"You'd have to go a long way to convince me that we're a better team winning in the Finals without a player like Kevin on our team," Griffin told ESPN 850 AM on Monday. "We've never once put together an offer involving Kevin, nor have we taken a call on an offer for Kevin."
There were rumblings of Love potentially being moved in the days leading up to the team's firing of David Blatt. Some players even speculated that the team meeting to announce the coaching change was actually word that Love had been moved, according to one report.
Love has had his challenges fitting in with the Cavs since being traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2014. He's been a defensive liability - especially against the pick-and-roll - while his offensive numbers have dropped to the second-lowest marks in scoring and field-goal percentage of his eight seasons in the NBA.
After taking the reins, head coach Tyronn Lue told reporters he wanted to get Love more touches at the elbows, where he's had success in his career, as opposed to catch-and-shoot looks.
Love shot 5-for-11, including 1-of-7 from deep, and finished with 11 points in Monday's 114-107 Cavaliers win over his old team.
The 27-year-old signed a five-year, $112-million deal with Cleveland last summer, agreeing to pursue a title with LeBron James despite rumors about him moving on. Love became eligible to be traded on Jan. 15, and while Griffin said there are no plans to move him, he reiterated the general manager's mantra that nobody is untouchable.
"We have been very clear from the beginning that there's no such thing as untouchables," he added.