After waiting 30 days for Andrew Wiggins to become tradable, the Cleveland Cavaliers finally acquired superstar Kevin Love.
In a report by ESPN.com, the trade involved three teams -- the Cavs, Minnesota Timberwolves and Philadelphia 76ers. The Wolves will be getting Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett, both No.1 overall draft picks. They will also acquire Thaddeus Young from the 76ers and a trade exception worth $6.3 million from Philadelphia.
Philadelphia will be getting Alexey Shved, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and a first round draft pick in 2015 from Minnesota.
With Love's official transfer to Cleveland to join superstar LeBron James and star point guard Kyrie Irving, the Cavs catapulted themselves to become the top team to most likely bring home the 2015 NBA championship title. The Cavs have not won a championship title in any professional sport since 1964, and James promised that he would do them the honor of winning their first NBA trophy.
According to 3news.co, a new "Big 3" has formed in the east. David Griffin, general manager of the Cavs said, "Kevin joining the Cavaliers represents a very special and unique opportunity for our team. At only 25, Kevin has already firmly established himself as one of the NBA's elite players and his talent, versatility and fit are major parts of our team's vision for success."
Rappler.com writes that Love had averaged 26.1 points, 12.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists in the 2013-2014 season. He also played an average of 36.5 minutes and played in over 77 games in the past year. The combination of the three stars in Cleveland is expected to result to higher total points, assists and rebounds. James was the team leader in scoring and dominated in assists and rebounds while he was in Miami. With the aid of Love and Irving, LeBron aims to be the first player in decades to average a triple double.
Griffin said, "Kevin joining the Cavaliers represents a very special and unique opportunity for our team." Some experts even speculate that the Cleveland Big 3 will be better than the former Big 3 in Miami.
The Minnesota Timberwolves were also happy with the recent deal, forming their own Big 3 in the process. Owner Flip Saunders said in an article by The Guardian, "With the additions of Wiggins, Bennett and Zach LaVine this summer, we have brought in three exciting young athletes who all have the potential to have an impact in this league. All three of them complement each other very well and we believe they will be foundations of our team for years to come."