Report: Kevin Love finalizing buyout with the Cavs
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Danny Cunningham covers the Cleveland Cavaliers for 850 ESPN Cleveland and thelandondemand.com. You can find him on Twitter at @RealDCunningham. Kevin Love is no longer set to be a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to a report from The Athletic.
Love has been out of the rotation for the Cavaliers since January 24 against the New York Knicks. Love was inactive with a back injury for the next three games, then collected Did Not Play-Coach’s Decision in each of the next nine games, culminating in the report of his buyout very early Thursday morning. According to The Athletic, Love and the Miami Heat have mutual interest.
After a rocky couple of seasons, Love had a terrific year in 2021-22 for the Cavaliers, finishing second in voting for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award behind Miami’s Tyler Herro. That season he averaged 13.6 points per game on 39.2 percent shooting from beyond the 3-point arc in what was the first year since very early in his career he primarily came off the bench.
This season hasn’t been as great for Love. He got off to a terrific start to the season, averaging 11.3 points per game on 40.9 percent shooting from 3-point range over the first 15 games of the season. However, during that 15th game against the Charlotte Hornets, Love suffered a fracture in his right thumb and hasn’t been the same since.
In the 26 games following that injury, Love played in 26 games and averaged 6.8 points per game on a measly 30.8 percent shooting from deep and 36.4 percent from the floor. When that was combined with a lowered level of defense, it became difficult for the Cavs to justify having Love on the floor, especially once Dean Wade returned from shoulder and ankle injuries that cost him seven weeks.
Things haven’t always been smooth with Love throughout his tenure in Cleveland. His name was thrown around in trade rumors from nearly the instant he was acquired in exchange for Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett back during the summer of 2014. Trying to fit in during the LeBron James-era wasn’t always the easiest thing, but it did result in Love and the Cavaliers winning the 2016 NBA Championship over the Golden State Warriors in seven games. Love’s most famous moment as a member of the Cavaliers came in Game 7, when he defended Golden State’s Stephen Curry in the waning moments of the game.
One day, Love will return to Cleveland and should receive a hero’s welcome. His number zero will hang from the rafters alongside the numbers of other franchise greats, and it deserves to. Love should be remembered as one of the best Cavaliers of all-time. He has a strong case as one of the five best players in franchise history, especially considering his longevity in Cleveland. If Love enters The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, he will do so being thought of as a member of the Cavaliers.
When thinking of Love’s time in Cleveland, people should first think of his defense on Steph Curry, his 34-point quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers in November of 2016, his decision to re-up in Cleveland following the departure of James, and his resurgence as the veteran on incredibly young, talented teams over the last two seasons.
Love leaves Cleveland a champion, a mentor, a mental health advocate, and one of the greatest Cleveland Cavaliers of all-time.
