NBA Player Trade Odds: Kevin Love -400 to Be Dealt From Cavs; Kyle Kuzma +110 to Be Traded by Lakers
- Books are out with a pair of props on whether NBA players Kevin Love and Kyle Kuzma will be traded by the Feb. 6th deadline
- The sportsbook is offering -500 odds that the Cleveland Cavaliers will deal Love
- However, they have set the line at -150 against the Los Angeles Lakers moving Kuzma
Kevin Love isn’t feeling the love from the Cleveland Cavaliers. Is Kyle Kuzma seeking to abdicate from his role in Kings James’ court?
Player unrest is nothing new in the NBA but are a couple of apparently disgruntled performers seeking to grease the skids for a move to a new locale?
Love has made no effort to hide his dissatisfaction with the Cavs. He’s shown up teammates and engaged in shouting matches with the coaching staff and management.
Kuzma’s situation is more complicated. He was caught in the midst of a firestorm. His personal trainer Clint Parks posted Instagram messages that were critical of LeBron James, Kuzma’s Los Angeles Lakers teammate.
Both of these scenarios have spawned prop wagers as to whether these players will be traded prior to the Feb. 6th NBA trade deadline.
Books are offering -500 odds that the Cavs will shed themselves of Love. However, the line leans the other way for Kuzma. The odds are -150 that he won’t be dealt by the Lakers.
Will Kevin Love Be Traded By Feb. 6 Deadline?
| Outcome | Odds |
|---|---|
| Yes | -400 |
| No | +250 |
Odds taken Jan. 6.
No Love Lost Between Kevin and Cavs
At 10-26, the Cavaliers are tied with the New York Knicks for the second-worst record in the NBA’s Eastern Conference. There’s no sign that things are going to be trending upward for Cleveland anytime soon.
Clearly, that factor is causing Love’s frustration to boil over. The lone NBA All-Star on a team in the midst of a rebuild that doesn’t seem to be working, Love is making no effort to hide his distaste for the situation.
Kevin Love appeared to be visibly frustrated with Collin Sexton. pic.twitter.com/NKA02hBOt4
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 5, 2020
Late in the first half of Saturday’s 121-106 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the 6-foot-8 Love found himself with a favorable matchup under the hoop against the 6-1 Chris Paul. He called for the ball but was ignored by guard Collin Sexton, who had the ball.
Displaying his agitation for all to see, Love walked all the way out to Sexton and demanded the ball. He then angrily fired a pass on the wing to Cedi Osman. After that, he turned his back to the ball and casually walked back toward the paint.
Kevin Love had a "verbal outburst" toward Cavs GM Koby Altman today, per @ShamsCharania and @joevardon
Love reportedly expressed "displeasure and disgust with the organization." pic.twitter.com/ecnHnUMa2n
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 5, 2020
Earlier that same day, it was reported that Love shouted angrily in the direction of general manager Koby Altman, complaining about the team’s lack of chemistry.
Love, 31, agreed to a four-year, $120.4 million contract extension with the Cavs last summer.
Who Wants Love?
Certainly, there are teams that can make use what Love has to offer. His outside shooting ability could help stretch the floor for a Philadelphia 76ers squad that is 14th (.459) in the NBA in 3-point shooting. Love would also be a good fit with the backcourt-strong Portland Trail Blazers, who are currently on the playoff bubble.
Kevin Love was fined $1,000 by the Cavs for this outburst on the bench, per @ShamsCharania
Kevin Love reportedly told Cavs GM Koby Altman, “Go ahead. I have plenty of money.” after Altman threatened to fine him last season after a similar outburst.
https://t.co/4StYaWJIbq— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) January 5, 2020
The dilemma facing Cleveland is twofold. First, there’s Love’s massive contract, both in terms of amount and term. Secondly, he’s injury prone. Love missed 60 games last season after breaking his toe.
Both Oklahoma City (Russell Westbrook) and New Orleans (Anthony Davis) moved star players to ramp up a rebuild. The Cavs need to find a way to make this work with Love.
Pick: Yes (-400).
Will Kyle Kuzma Be Traded Before Feb. 6 Deadline?
| Outcome | Odds |
|---|---|
| Yes | +110 |
| No | -150 |
The Instagram post by Parks was critical of James and praised Kawhi Leonard of the rival Los Angeles Clippers, who also happens to be a Parks client.
Are LeBron and Kyle Kuzma good? In the wake of social media posts from Kuzma’s trainer, I asked LeBron. He said they’ve talked about it. pic.twitter.com/dMZil6iguc
— Tania Ganguli (@taniaganguli) December 28, 2019
For his part, James shrugged it off. He acknowledged that Kuzma had come to him and discussed the matter. James said it was no big deal and considered the issue closed.
Kuzma Kerfuffle Will Blow Over
The Lakers are first in the Western Conference at 29-7. Kuzma is a key part of their package, averaging 11.8 points per game off the bench. He scored 24 points in the first game following the post by his trainer.
Looks like Kyle Kuzma is here to stay ?#Lakers #NBA #NBATwitter pic.twitter.com/fqx61Mh5EK
— LakeShow (@LakeShowCP) January 4, 2020
The Lakers are contenders. Kuzma isn’t going anywhere.
Pick: No (-150).
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
