Rerouting Kevin Love could restore the leverage the Pacers lost

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY SportsLet’s be clear. As much as going all-in to snag a Kevin Durant-counterweight makes sense for the Cleveland Cavaliers, trading Paul George straight up for Kevin Love doesn’t add up for the Indiana Pacers.

Given that they haven’t won “50-plus games” either of the last two seasons with the former starring as the team’s best player, it’d be incredibly generous to project that to happen in the future with the latter’s considerably inferior defense in the fold. Instead, missing the playoffs entirely — while paying a potentially malcontent 28-year-old in excess of $20 million — seems more likely.

Sure, Turner’s ability to protect the rim “could cover up some of Love’s…