Washington Wizards Should Not Trade Bradley Beal For Kevin Love

The Washington Wizards could benefit from acquiring Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love, but they absolutely shouldn’t trade Bradley Beal

The Cleveland Cavaliers are on the verge of getting eliminated in the NBA Finals for the second consecutive year by the Golden State Warriors.

LeBron James, who essentially put the team together prior to returning to Cleveland, isn’t going anywhere. The team, however, cannot expect this core group of players to ever win a championship together.

If the Cavaliers go on to lose in the Finals again, the “big three” probably won’t be coming back as currently constructed.

James is an unrestricted free agent, but unless he receives a hate-letter written in blood by Dan Gilbert, he’s not going to bounce again.

Kyrie Irving is just 24-years-old and still has a ton of potential to grow his point-guard skills. He’s not the defender nor distributor he needs to be, but the upside is there.

Kevin Love is the odd man out.

James and the Cavaliers orchestrated a trade involving first overall pick Andrew Wiggins in exchange for Love with the hopes of having the former Minnesota Timberwolves star becoming the third star to their championship puzzle.

Love was a go-to scorer in Minnesota and a dominant rebounder. After posting a career-high 26 points and 13 rebounds during his final season with the Wolves, Love has put up career-lows all across the board in his second season with the Cavaliers.

Given the significant drop off in production, some have begun to question Love’s talent and ability to be a primary piece on a winning team.

Folks who believed that Love was an MVP candidate just a few years ago have jumped off the bandwagon.

Love, like many other players who put up incredible numbers on non-playoff teams, is flawed.

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His defensive awareness and overall bad play on that end of the floor is concerning, and has been since he was a rookie.

Love didn’t adjust well to his new role with the Cavaliers, despite playing with one of the best players to ever play the game.

Those are all red flags that should raise some concerns to teams that could potentially pick up the phone and ask about his availability.

On the flip side, it’s important to acknowledge that Love’s role in Cleveland has been reduced.

Per-36 minutes, Love’s shot attempts per game in Cleveland have been equal to the amount he received during his first two years in Minnesota.

The team’s insistence on having Love become an outside shooter has taken away his effectiveness as an offensive rebounder. As many others have pointed out, the Cavaliers have been using Love like a 6’11” version of Kyle Korver.

Cleveland has also been reliant on fast-paced basketball, eliminating the clean touches Love used to get in the post with the Timberwolves. When the Cavaliers are forced to play in the half-court, they turn to James or Irving for an isolation bailout.

This season, 48.4 percent of Love’s shot attempts have come from “catch and shoot” situations. Less than 37 percent of his looks came from within 10 feet of the basket.

In 2013-14, less than 35 percent of Love’s looks came from “catch and shoot” situations. Love took 41.5 percent of his shots inside 10 feet during that season.

If used correctly inside the post and in pick-and-pop situations, Love’s production and efficiency could increase.

By default, Love has taken most of the blame for the lack of success the Cavaliers have experienced in the Finals. His flaws have always been there. He’s never going to be a lock-down defender nor someone a team could rely on for rim protection. But, he’s an elite offensive player who isn’t being utilized correctly.

That’s why if he is shipped out during the summer, the Washington Wizards should call the Cavaliers about a deal.

I’ve written about this before so I won’t beat a dead horse, but the Wizards have what the Cavaliers need to experience more success against the top contenders.

Cleveland lacks a long, versatile wing player who could actually do what Love shouldn’t have been asked to do in the first place. Otto Porter and Kelly Oubre are both young, up-and-coming forwards that could be star 3-and-D players.

They can both play multiple positions, knock down the deep ball and defend. They have all the tools that Love doesn’t. Plus, the Wizards have Markieff Morris, who also possesses the aforementioned skills. If a deal were to occur, it would probably take one of either Porter and Oubre, plus Morris or Marcin Gortat.

That deal is one that both teams could benefit from.

John Wall would get another star teammate and the Cavaliers would gain multiple pieces that fit into their style of play.

A trade between the Cavaliers and Washington Wizards for Kevin Love should not, however, include Bradley Beal.

Speculation about an inevitable trade involving Love has caused some to begin to think of new landing spots for the misused forward. In a piece with numerous other trade scenarios involving Love, SB Nation’s Tom Ziller suggested the following:

"WIZARDS: Sign and trade for Bradley Beal? Anyone? Love is just what the Wizards need, but there probably aren’t enough of the right pieces to send back to Cleveland, especially when compared to the other offers likely to be on the table."

Before getting into why that trade would be an awful idea for the Washington Wizards, let’s make something clear: Ted Leonsis and Ernie Grunfeld have made too much of a commitment to Beal, so any trade involving him won’t happen.

According to a report, the Washington Wizards turned down a trade for James Harden because they didn’t want to give up Beal.

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If they were going to trade him, they would have done so already.

The time to explore trades for Beal has passed.

Now the Wizards are going to take a chance and sign Beal to a five-year max contract.

Beal, who just completed his fourth season in the NBA, is only 22-years-old.

His injury-plagued career makes him seem much older, but he’s just in his early 20’s.

The lack of growth Beal has shown in his game throughout the four years is concerning, but again: he’s only 22. Prior to getting diagnosed with another stress reaction early in the season, Beal was averaging well over 20 points per game on efficient shooting.

Like his age, it’s also easy to forget that Wall and Beal were ridiculously close to leading the Washington Wizards to the Eastern Conference Finals just a season ago. In last year’s playoffs, Beal averaged 23.4 points, nearly six rebounds and five assists.

Beal is undoubtedly one of the most frustrating players in the NBA, but he’s frustrating for reasons that are beyond his control.

It’s not his fault that the injury bug has bit him every season. It’s not his fault that head coach Randy Wittman wanted him to shoot mid-range jump shots and never truly embraced the pace-and-space offense – something that Beal would have benefited from.

The Washington Wizards now have a head coach who understands the new game and has embraced player development.

Scott Brooks could become to the Washington Wizards what Steve Kerr was to the Warriors. The stubborn, old-thinking coach is gone and the young core, including Beal, will be able to play up to their potential.

Love is going to be 28-years-old at the beginning of next season and he’s entering the prime of his career. The days of him dropping 25+ points to go along side 15+ rebounds are gone.

While that doesn’t mean he cannot regain his All-Star form, it should also caution the Washington Wizards from pulling the trigger on a deal involving their second most valuable player.

Beal is on the cusp of becoming an NBA All-Star. It’s been some time since we’ve seen him and Wall dominate, but they’ve done it before. All it takes, at this point, is health. And when he’s healthy, Beal is capable of being what Love is not: a two-way player who’s also reliable in the fourth quarter.

Next: Wizards Should Pursue Kevin Love

But if the Cavaliers are interested in anyone not named Wall or Beal, then the Washington Wizards should have a conversation. Until then, it’s best if they stay put.