NBA trade rumors: Cleveland Cavaliers may take Suns' stars this mid-season

Though the season has not officially opened, the Cleveland Cavaliers appear to have things figured out for the 2016-17 campaign.

Coming into the year, the Cavaliers are the defending champions. They faced and beat adversity when they overcame a 3-1 deficit against the Golden State Warriors to hand the Cavs their first championship in franchise history.

Now, the team is still one of the strongest and is still one of the favorites to win it all again by the end of the year. The Cavs are also planning ahead.

According to rumors, if the Cavaliers struggle in the middle of the season, they may trade Kevin Love. The Phoenix Suns looks like a likely landing spot for the power forward.

The Cavs consider Love as one of their big three, including LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. However, Love has not always fit in with the team and has struggled to be incorporated in the mix.

If needed, it looks like the Cavaliers are ready to part ways with him as they are linked to be getting center Tyson Chandler and point guard Brandon Knight in exchange for Love.

For Cleveland, this will help them cover their problems in the center and point guard spots as Chandler is more than capable and Knight is always a steady performer.

The Cavs are missing point guard duties, with some leaving and others retiring. Adding Knight will give them a boost in the smaller position.

Knight is an excellent player, averaging 15.9 points and 4.6 assists in his career. Though he may not be at the level of Irving, having him off the bench will definitely help the Cavaliers maintain their pace.

As for Chandler, he is an elite defender and rebounder, as well as a former champion. At 34 years old, Chandler averages 8.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. He may be a veteran but having him on the floor disrupts the opponents' offense. This is important as Cleveland tries to defend their title.