Report: LeBron pushing Cavs front office to acquire Carmelo

LeBron James is reportedly intent on getting his good friend and banana-boat brother Carmelo Anthony to Cleveland, cost be damned.

James has been pushing the Cavs front office to acquire Anthony in a trade with the Knicks, even if it means sending All-Star power forward Kevin Love to New York, a source told Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.

It's worth noting that this report is coming out of New York. The latest report out of Cleveland was that the Cavs were willing to move Love for the right price, but not in exchange for Anthony. Which makes sense. Love is four years younger than Anthony, is having a more productive season, and better fits the Cavs' roster.

In his third season in Cleveland, Love has finally put it all together and found his place on the team he often struggled to jell with during the first two. He's averaging 19.9 points and 11.1 rebounds per game, while shooting 38 percent from 3-point range and posting a 21.7 PER, all his best marks as a Cavalier. His defense, a particular point of concern the past two seasons, has also been noticeably improved.

Anthony has put up strong individual numbers (22.9 points, 6.1 rebounds per game), but he's been a defensive liability and a ball-stopper, and the Knicks have been considerably better with him on the bench. A change of scenery would likely do him some good, particularly given his fractured relationship with the team's front office.