NBA Rumors: Cleveland Cavaliers Deny Kevin Love Trade; LeBron James, Kyrie Irving Want Iman Shumpert Out

By Mitch de Leon
NBA: Finals-Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors
June 19, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love (0) and center Tristan Thompson (13) keep the ball away from Golden State Warriors guard Leandro Barbosa (19) in the second half in game seven of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena.  Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Cavaliers made history when they finally defeated the Golden State Warriors, a team that boasted of the deadly combination of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals. While LeBron James and Kyrie Irving celebrate their momentous victory, fans from around the league are pondering on the future of Kevin Love. However, it looks like the pressure if off the former Minnesota Timberwolves star as the Cleveland Cavaliers reportedly confirmed the return of Kevin Love next season.

The problematic injuries and inconsistent performance of Kevin Love throughout the season pushed a number of Cleveland Cavaliers fans to call for his trade. In fact, some LeBron James fans even campaigned aggressively to bench Kevin Love in the crucial finals games of the 2016 NBA season against the Golden State Warriors. However, the Cleveland Cavaliers stuck to their plans. The moment Kevin Love showed that his strength was back and that he has recovered from his injuries, head coach Tyronn Lue placed him in the starting lineup.

"Oh he's going to be here," said Tyronn Lue of Kevin Love. The Cleveland Cavaliers head coach added, "I mean, without Kevin Love, we wouldn't have gotten to the Finals. Then in Game 7, after hearing all the negative talk, he comes into Game 7, has 14 rebounds, a big stop on Steph Curry at the end of the game. So Kevin Love is going to be here, we want him here, and he's a big part of what we want to do going forward."

Apart from the Cleveland Cavaliers fans, one of the most aggressive critics of Kevin Love is none other than LeBron James. However, the former Miami Heat star eventually praised his teammate and noted the improvements. Moreover, King James shared that Kevin Love played a crucial role in the 2016 NBA Finals victory of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"Everything that happened from the concussion to sitting out, to him having his shooting struggles and things of that nature. Everybody was burying him alive throughout the Finals," shared LeBron James of Kevin Love. The 2016 NNBA Finals MVP added, "And to be able to respond like he did in Game 7, that's what real men do. They respond in the most adverse times. Thank you, Kev."

Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers are expected to shop Iman Shumpert. Earlier this season, the NBA 2015-16 season champs saw JR Smith as the more probable star to leave the roster due to his age and injuries. However, the former New York Knicks star proved to be crucial in the last games of the NBA Finals. Hence, the spot allotted to Iman Shumpert now reportedly has JR Smith on it. With the sheer number of potential free agents who could boost the Cleveland Cavaliers roster, rumors are rife that Shumpert will be off the team this offseason.

What do you think? Is it right for the Cleveland Cavaliers to keep Kevin Love? Or will a Kevin Love trade be seriously considered for a better Cleveland Cavaliers roster? What about Iman Shumpert? Should he be taken off the team especially in light of the performances of JR Smith?

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