Now that the NBA Playoffs are in full swing with Game 1 of the Finals on ABC at 9 PM, everyone is wondering whether the Cleveland Cavaliers are going to take on the Golden State Warriors. There have been a lot of NBA Trade Rumors surrounding the Cleveland Cavaliers, as well as a team that didn't do so good this season: the New York Knicks.
According to Sports World Report, the Knicks are coming into the draft with the number for pick in the draft with names like Trey Lyles, Emmanuel Mudiay, Justise Winslow, and D'Angelo Russell. Apparently, ESPN has the Knicks coming in at the second worst record in the NBA.
The Lakers are apparently eying Mudiay and Russell, but they are also looking at Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor as the top two picks. The Knicks might want to pick up the latter two, but it could be that Lyles might be the pick of the team.
In a separate article from Sports World Report, the Knicks are also looking at the one and only Dwyane Wade. Of course, they will have to pay through the nose to get him in on the deal, no doubt, but his many missed games might not make him a prime draft choice. Other names being thrown around like a...basketball are Kevin Love, Jimmy Butler, or LaMarcus Aldridge. They also have been eyeing Monta Ellis or Louis Williams.
As for the Cleveland Cavaliers, yet another article from Sports World Report says that the team will be "hard-pressed with contracts over the next two years as everyone will be looking for more money". Yes, this team has had more than a good season, and it looks like Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson will be staying on. Sorry, Knicks, doesn't look like you'll be getting any Love next season.
Lebron James speaks very highly about Thompson, believing that "he'll be here for a long time". Should Thompson get the max deal, the Love will need to wait or go elsewhere. The Cavaliers have been considering others such as JR Smith, Iman Shumpert, and Timofey Mozgov, which means that Love could not bet getting any love for a max deal and might have to go elsewhere. So who would replace him? Perhaps Tyson Chandler, Al Jefferson, and Larry Sanders are some good names to drop to replace the forward, but we will see.
Things are looking good for the Cleveland Cavaliers as it is possible for LeBron James to make his fifth straight appearance to the NBA finals, bringing his hometown team back home as the champs. According to Sports World Report, there will be a lot of contract issues that have to be addressed this off-season as "several key pieces will either be restricted free agents or have player options".
The big issue is what the Knicks will pick for the next season so they can hopefully have a better one. It is possible that the Cavaliers will have themselves a win for this season. Again, we will see.