How Kevin Love Trade 12 Years Ago Today Reshaped Cavaliers

The 2014 offseason was arguably the biggest summer in the history of Cleveland Sports. It all began with 2011 #1 pick Kyrie Irving reaffirming his commitment by signing an extension at the outset of free agency. Not two weeks later, The Kid from Akron re-signed with the team after playing four years in Miami. The return of the King. LeBron James.

They had drafted Andrew Wiggins #1 overall that year to fill the void they had at small forward. And after almost two months of speculation, the very day he became eligible to be traded, the Cavs sent him and 2013 #1 overall pick Anthony Bennett to the Timberwolves.

Coming back in their places? A certain Kevin Love. The trade happened 12 years ago today. Let’s talk about how this completely reshaped both the roster, and the expectations with Irving and James and Co.

Welcome Aboard, Kevin Love!

During the four seasons LeBron James was in Miami, the Cavs really didn’t win much. They happened to pick #1 overall three times in this span, finishing near the bottom of the East for a few seasons before sliding up a few spots. Still, they didn’t even sniff the playoffs.

And so once James was in the fold and the team made the deal for Kevin Love, everything changed. The instant expectations for the team were to go out and win the East. The featured player on a bottom-of-the-pack Wolves team, Love was stuffing the stat sheet every night and earning All-NBA honors.

12 YEARS AGO TODAY...

Cavs get -- KEVIN LOVE
Wolves get -- Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett, and Thaddeus Young
Sixers get -- Luc Mbah a Moute and Alexey Shved, 2016 1RP pic.twitter.com/OQvE2ECovS
— Across The Cavs (@AcrossCavs) August 23, 2026

He was an incredible rebounder who can also space the floor and score from anywhere. The 34-point first quarter he had against Portland during his tenure was one of the greatest shooting displays in the history of the game. Only Klay Thompson’s 37-point quarter without a single miss against Sacramento may be more impressive in a 12-minute period.

Playoff injury heartbreak held the team back from what likely would have been the first championship. But as they say, if at first you don’t succeed…

The Trade Worked Perfectly

Of course, those expectations that the Cavs had were merited, and they met them. The team would re-shape the roster further at the 2015 deadline, and it was those pieces (JR Smith, Timofey Mozgov and Iman Shumpert) who helped complete the puzzle. When push came to shove in 2016, it was Kevin Love that locked down Stephen Curry for the biggest defensive stop in franchise history.

Love had not been on a good basketball team since his freshman year at UCLA prior to coming on board, but his fit was hand in glove. He showed up when they needed him most, and it more than justified the deal. The team needed a bit of time to gel together, but he came through. Had the big man not suffered a devastating shoulder injury during an altercation with Kelly Olynyk, they could have won multiple championships.

Andrew Wiggins eventually won a title with the Warriors in 2022. His time in Minnesota saw one playoff appearance. He was actually almost reunited with LeBron James earlier this year in Miami, before the King decided to sign with Philly. Anthony Bennett meanwhile played for four teams over four years and bottomed out of the league. The third Wolves player added in the deal, Thaddeus Young, was sent to Brooklyn for Kevin Garnett a year later so the franchise hero could retire where it all began.

Thank You Kevin Love

There is no banner in Cleveland without Kevin Love. He played an integral role in 2016, and the acquisition gave the team the big three they needed.

Rumor has it that he is a free agent option for them this summer. Whether it happens or not, that #0 will look great in the rafters when he’s done playing.

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