Kevin Love

2023 - 2 - 16

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Image courtesy of "Basketball Network"

Examining three potential landing spots for Kevin Love (Basketball Network)

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love has reached a buyout, and the LA Lakers, Miami Heat, and Minnesota Timberwolves could pursue him.

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Fans Want Kevin Love to Join LeBron James, Lakers amid Rumors ... (Bleacher Report)

Following the Los Angeles Lakers' impressive 120-102 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday, Lakers fans and observers called for the team to...

🤔💜💛#lakers #lakersnation #nba #kobe #kobebryant #le@Lakers @GuruLakers 📷 ctto pic.twitter.com/vgv02pyFwo https://t.co/nUvZYbuWPd pic.twitter.com/5izg4RrcnG 👑 + ❤️ = 🥇🏀 pic.twitter.com/LtGyhHAo5w #lakeshow pls get @kevinlove ! @kevinlove @KingJames @RichPaul4 #Lakeshow @Lakers @JeanieBuss Lets make it happen !! if @kevinlove gets bought out then @Lakers have to reunite him with @KingJames as they've got that familiarity, he's a seasoned vet leader & not too shabby a shooter still too #MissingPiece 🤞🤞🤞🙏🙏🙏

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Cavs buying out Kevin Love — should Suns pursue? (Bright Side of the Sun)

Buyout season has been busy already. G/SF Terrence Ross signed with the Suns. PG Reggie Jackson went the Nuggets. SF Danny Green went to the Cavaliers. SF ...

Wall was finally bought out by the Rockets, though it required two trades (to the Clippers and back) to do it. Sure, Russ could lift up the second unit, but that’s the job he had in LA and look how that turned out. If the Suns are worried at all about Paul and Payne’s health for the playoffs, maybe they take a chance on Wall. I don’t think the [NBA Finals](https://www.sbnation.com/nba-finals) as the wind beneath LeBron’s wings. He’s just a year removed from averaging 15 points per game in Denver, but has been terrible this year in Washington and is now out of the rotation. Depends on what he’s got left in the tank, but late year’s Barton could have earned minutes in a supporting wing rotation that now consists of T.J. The only guys the Suns have behind Chris Paul are Cameron Payne, who’s getting closer to returning to action, and two-way Saben Lee who won’t be able to play in the playoffs (and shouldn’t). There’s a lot more blame to go around, and we’ll see that soon enough. Ish has been on a two-way contract all season, but as of tonight’s game versus the Clippers he will be out of eligibility to play NBA games. Fit with the Suns: better than Wainright? SF Danny Green went to the Cavaliers.

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Report: Kevin Love discussing possible buyout from Cavs | NBA.com (NBA.com)

CLEVELAND (AP) — Five-time All-Star forward Kevin Love has discussed the possibility of a contract buyout from the Cleveland Cavaliers after being dropped ...

He missed two games with back spasms but hasn’t been in Cleveland’s last eight games despite being active. He went to four straight NBA Finals with Cleveland. Love hasn’t played since Jan. Green made his debut in Wednesday night’s loss at Philadelphia while Love sat again. Love has been with Cleveland since 2014, and one of the NBA’s most versatile big men had a major role in the team winning the 2016 title, the city’s first pro sports championship since 1964. CLEVELAND (AP) — Five-time All-Star forward Kevin Love has discussed the possibility of a contract buyout from the Cleveland Cavaliers after being dropped from the rotation, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Thursday.

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Kevin Love, Cleveland Cavaliers Reportedly Finalizing Contract ... (Forbes)

"I have not been approached by [Love and his camp] at all and I don't anticipate it either," Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman said when asked ...

Ultimately, it feels like the thumb injury changed Love’s season and his fit with the Cavs. He is likely to sign a minimum deal with whatever team he ends up with, be it the Heat or another team who can offer him the minutes he wants. What remains to be figured out is how much salary Love will give up in the buyout. The Cavs just added Danny Green off of the buyout market, giving Bickerstaff a three-and-d option that the team arguably needs more of than that Love provides. What happened in the last week that changed? [Cleveland.com reported that](https://www.cleveland.com/cavs/2023/02/kevin-love-requests-buyout-from-cavs-sources-say.html) Love formally requested the buyout before the Cavs played the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday.

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Kevin Love and Cavaliers to reach contract buyout agreement; fans ... (Economic Times)

Cleveland Cavaliers fans are expressing their gratitude towards Kevin Love following the announcement of his contract buyout.

The views expressed here are that of the respective authors/ entities and do not represent the views of Economic Times (ET). [Portland Trail Blazers](/topic/portland-trail-blazers)and the Miami Heat. [Love](/topic/love)had been with the Cavaliers since 2014 and was a key member of the team that won the [NBA](/topic/nba)championship in 2016. Despite these concerns, many fans are still expressing their gratitude towards Love for his contributions to the Cavaliers. [Kevin Love](/topic/kevin-love)'s contract buyout has been met with mixed emotions from fans of the [Cleveland Cavaliers](/topic/cleveland-cavaliers). Love was also an advocate for mental health awareness and was open about his own struggles with anxiety and depression.

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Kevin Love requests buyout from Cavs, sources say (cleveland.com)

While the two sides are soon expected to part ways, nothing has been finalized -- yet.

He also said he didn’t think there was a benefit to sharing his thoughts on the playing time situation. Before Wednesday’s game, which could end up being his last in a Cavs uniform, Love went through his usual pregame warmup routine, finishing with a choreographed handshake with teammate Darius Garland. [Caesars Ohio Sportsbook](https://www.cleveland.com/betting/ohio/caesars/) is open for bets now that Ohio sports betting has launched. Shortly after that performance, Bickerstaff had a conversation with Love about no longer being in the rotation. He then returned for an individual shooting workout with a few assistant coaches after his teammates -- and other members of the organization -- had already left the arena. When approached multiple times by cleveland.com recently, before and after games, Love said he has never talked on the record following a game in which he didn’t play. But the 34-year-old Love battled through a painful thumb injury earlier this season that impacted his performance and was then removed from the team’s every-night rotation shortly after Dean Wade returned from a seven-week absence. He’s a mentor. He’s a teacher. Bickerstaff hinted at prior to Wednesday’s showdown with the 76ers. He’s a leader. Cleveland’s decision-makers, including chairman Dan Gilbert, will discuss that possibility among themselves and with Love’s representation over the next few days, sources tell cleveland.com.

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Image courtesy of "SB Nation"

Kevin Love's 5 best destinations after buyout with Cavs, ranked (SB Nation)

Kevin Love and the Cleveland Cavaliers have finally parted ways after nine seasons and one memorable NBA championship together. Love and the Cavs have ...

Warren, Torrey Craig, and Darius Bazley will compete for minutes at the backup forward spot, but Love is a better spot-up three-point shooter than any of them. There’s a clear path to minutes in the rotation for Love if he signs in Miami. His game is a wonderful fit with Antetokounmpo, who could cover up for him on the defensive end, and help get Love open on offense with his constant rim pressure. [NBA trade deadline](http://www.sbnation.com/nba-trade-rumors) because they want to win the championship this season. One question for Phoenix is going to be its depth, particularly in the front court. Love’s game is a good fit for Milwaukee’s system: this team spaces the floor well and hoists threes with volume around MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo’s drives to the rim, and that’s exactly what Love can do. [longest tenured players in the NBA with one team](https://twitter.com/YossiGozlan/status/1626259222534160384) after coming to the Cavaliers in a trade for No. The Bulls currently rank dead last in the league in both three-point makes and three-point attempts. 27 in the league in offensive efficiency. Love has always been known for his shooting and passing, but it was a [key defensive stop on Stephen Curry during the 2016 Finals](https://twitter.com/Reflog_18/status/1626177849013985284) that survives as his defining moment. Love and the Cavs have agreed to a buyout which puts the veteran power forward on the free agent market just ahead of the stretch run for the playoffs. He immediately becomes one of the biggest names on the buyout market.

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AP source: Kevin Love discussing possible buyout from Cavs (Toronto Star)

CLEVELAND (AP) — Kevin Love's long, winding run with the Cleveland Cavaliers could be ending after nearly nine years.

Love had some initial struggles trying to fit in when he first arrived. “We still believe he’s capable of helping us in big moments because he has that experience and has been through those pressures,” Bickerstaff said Monday night before a win over San Antonio. Miami and Phoenix are among the potential landing spots. His acceptance of a reserve role last season helped fuel the team’s turnaround after winning just 60 games combined in the three previous seasons. Green made his debut in Wednesday night’s [118-112 loss](https://apnews.com/article/philadelphia-76ers-cleveland-cavaliers-nba-sports-james-harden-21a8f408eda95f10e34c2be9f3636fbf) at Philadelphia while Love sat again. The 34-year-old hasn’t played in the last 12 games and his representatives approached the Cavaliers about the buyout, said the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because negotiations continue.

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Image courtesy of "Sporting News"

Kevin Love landing spots: Lakers, Heat among best fits after contract ... (Sporting News)

The 34-year-old forward, whom the Cavs acquired in 2014 after LeBron James returned to the team, has been out of Cleveland's rotation since logging 12 minutes ...

[according to The Athletic's Shams Charania and Jason Lloyd](https://theathletic.com/4210496/2023/02/16/kevin-love-cavaliers-contract-buyout/). and U.K.](https://nba.sjv.io/c/2436205/1490605/16284?sharedid=OutsideNBA) This could be his best opportunity to make that dream happen. [All other countries](https://nba.sjv.io/c/2436205/1490605/16284?sharedid=NBASection) $31.3 million $28.9 million What led Love and the Cavs to part ways? 21, but since that hot month, he has dropped down to 31.1 percent from deep. After a strong start to the 2022-23 season, Love suffered a thumb injury in November that seemed to impact his shooting touch. He hit 40.4 percent of his 3-point attempts from Oct. [Charania and Lloyd reported](http://theathletic.com/4210496/2023/02/16/kevin-love-cavaliers-contract-buyout/) that the Heat are "expected to emerge as a suitor" for Love, as they have "canvassed the market recently for a big man." The 34-year-old forward, whom the Cavs acquired in 2014 after LeBron James returned to the team, has been out of Cleveland's rotation since logging 12 minutes in a Jan.

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Warriors News: Should the Warriors target Kevin Love in the buyout ... (Golden State of Mind)

Good Morning Dub Nation,. As the Golden State Warriors prepare themselves for the second half of the season, an interesting buyout market option just became ...

Clippers](https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2023/2/14/23600494/warriors-clippers-grades-jordan-poole-klay-thompson) [Potential Dubs fit Love reportedly finalizing Cavs buyout](https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/nba-rumors-kevin-love-cavaliers-finalizing-contract-buyout)(NBC Sports Bay Area) [Patrick Baldwin Jr. [popular buyout market names](https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/nba-rumors-kevin-love-cavaliers-finalizing-contract-buyout) linked to the Warriors since the trade deadline. If adding the veteran big man is a possibility, Golden State would be smart to look into it. Golden State has an open roster spot available if they would like to make the move for Love. [Golden State Warriors](https://www.goldenstateofmind.com) prepare themselves for the second half of the season, an interesting buyout market option just became available. Miami also has a pair of exceptions that would allow them to pay Love a bit more than other teams around the league. After playing in Cleveland for the past nine seasons, Love found himself out of the team’s nightly rotation in recent weeks – partially due to his struggles on the court as he continues to recover from a thumb injury suffered earlier this season. At 34-years-old, Love is averaging 8.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and shooting 35.4% from three in 20 minutes per game. [Klay Thompson: ‘I still love our chances to repeat’](https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2023/2/15/23602216/warriors-klay-thompson-repeat-confidence-all-star-break) [Best bets for final ESPN games before All-Star break](https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2023/2/15/23601401/best-bets-final-espn-games-before-break) [The Warriors are a ‘middle of the pack team’ entering the All-Star Break](https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2023/2/15/23601114/dub-hub-daily-warriors-links-for-2-15-23-middle-of-the-pack-team-entering-the-all-star-break) [The 17-4 third-quarter run that spelled doom for the Warriors](https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2023/2/15/23600657/warriors-clippers-draymond-green-klay-thompson-jordan-poole-jonathan-kuminga-film-breakdown) [Player grades: Warriors vs. Adding to that, General manager Bob Myers has [expressed interest in looking for additional big man depth](https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/video/bob-myers-warriors-will-explore-buyout-market-potential-big-man) as long as the fit is aligned with the coaching staff. [According to Shams Charania of The Athletic](https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheathletic.com%2F4210496%2F2023%2F02%2F16%2Fkevin-love-cavaliers-contract-buyout%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.goldenstateofmind.com%2F2023%2F2%2F16%2F23602593%2Fdub-hub-daily-warriors-links-for-2-16-23-should-warriors-target-kevin-love-buyout-market), five-time All-Star Kevin Love is finalizing a buyout with the [Cleveland Cavaliers](https://www.fearthesword.com).

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Image courtesy of "Sports Illustrated"

Potential Landing Spots For Kevin Love In Buyout Market (Sports Illustrated)

Working on a buyout agreement with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kevin Love will be one of the better names available as free agent in the buyout market,

Reports: Cavs finalizing contract buyout with Kevin Love (News-Daily.com)

Kevin Love's nine-year run with the Cleveland Cavaliers reportedly is coming to an end.

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NBA rumors: This Celtics rival is interested in Kevin Love as he ... (NBC Sports Boston)

Kevin Love could be the next notable name to hit the NBA buyout market, and one of the Celtics' rivals in the Eastern Conference is reportedly emerging as a ...

9 trade deadline, so it would make sense for them to dip into the buyout market for reinforcements. He's also shooting an impressive 88.9 percent from the free throw line. They also wrote that the Miami Heat are "expected to emerge as a suitor" for Love.

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Kevin Love, Cavs Reach Buyout; Favorite To Sign Revealed (Yardbarker)

After years of speculation, it sounds as if Kevin Love is finally going to be moving on from the Cleveland Cavaliers. It has felt since he signed his ...

That is certainly a lowlight to end his Cavaliers career, where he has spent nine out of the 15 seasons in the NBA. On the season, Love is averaging 8.5 points per game to go with 6.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 20 minutes. Miami opened up a roster spot when they traded Dewayne Dedmond to the San Antonio Spurs ahead of the trade deadline in a salary-cap-motivated move. But, in recent weeks, he has seen his role diminished to zero minutes as he has been out of the team’s rotation. Love is in the final season of his contract, which is paying him $28.9 million. After years of speculation, it sounds as if Kevin Love is finally going to be moving on from the Cleveland Cavaliers.

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Kevin Love landing spots: Lakers, Knicks, Warriors, Suns, Heat ... (CBSSports.com)

You could also make a case for the Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls.

[Phoenix Suns](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/PHO/phoenix-suns/) [Atlanta Hawks](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/ATL/atlanta-hawks/) [Chris Paul](/nba/players/555969/chris-paul/) will make great use of a guy like Love. In isolation, Love provides spacing and a capable shooter when those guys collapse the defense, and the pick and rolls can become pick-and-pops with Love. It could be worth noting that Chicago is one of the potential landing spots for Obviously Love isn't anywhere near the same player as he was back then, but he still makes some sense for the Warriors, who made good use of stretch big [Nemanja Bjelica](/nba/players/1755218/nemanja-bjelica/) on their championship run last season. [JaMychal Green](/nba/players/2103346/jamychal-green/) toward the back end of Golden State's potential playoff rotation, but Green is hardly cemented. Also, you know Love is comfortable in big, late-round playoff games, where the Suns expect to be come May and -- they hope -- June. The Knicks are a high-volume 3-point shooting team, but do not confuse that with being a good 3-point shooting team; only six teams connect from deep at a worse percentage. Assuming he does still have some game left in him, below is a look at seven teams, in no particular order, that would make varying levels of sense as a Love landing spot. He fell out of Cleveland's rotation largely because of this, and of late hasn't played at all. When that becomes official, Love will be a free agent with no shortage of suitors.

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Kevin Love: Best destinations after Cavs buyout, ranked (ClutchPoints)

Despite the enormous contract, it was inevitable for him to get moved until they restructured their contract with Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and the rest of ...

Compared to Miami, the expectation for Love to contribute instantly with Phoenix will be less because of the star power in this lineup. Due to this move, their bench still has a few holes to fill, and one of them would be acquiring a more reliable center that can match up well with a smaller lineup. The offense of Miami has been abysmal this year, and Kevin Love’s addition gives them a reliable spark plug off the bench. With the evolution of the NBA, Love will likely play the majority of his minutes at the 5 for 12-15 minutes per night. At 34 years old, it is imperative that his primary goal is to claim another championship in the NBA. Adding Donovan Mitchell this year put the Cavs on the map, so it seemed that Love would be the veteran that would mentor these young guys.

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NBA rumors: This Celtics rival is interested in Kevin Love as he ... (Yahoo Sports)

Kevin Love could be the next notable name to hit the NBA buyout market, and one of the Celtics' rivals in the Eastern Conference is reportedly emerging as a ...

Suns Among Teams Interested In Kevin Love (hoopsrumors.com)

As Windhorst points out, Love was teammates with Suns president of basketball operations James Jones when Cleveland won its lone championship in 2016, so ...

Windhorst wonders if the Cavs will negotiate to try to force Love to join a Western Conference team instead. Windhorst suggests the Cavs weren’t “thrilled” with the request, but they had gone 9-3 with Love out of the rotation, so they didn’t want to switch things up when they’re having success without him. A thumb injury, which is now healed, limited his effectiveness from an efficiency standpoint, as his FG% (.389) and 3PT% (.354) are his worst marks since 2012/13, when the 34-year-old played just 18 games due to injury. Windhorst says the Heat are “very interested” in Love, but notes that Cleveland might have to play Miami in the first round of the playoffs — paying him to join a direct competitor in the East obviously doesn’t make much sense. [Kevin Durant](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/duranke01.html?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.hoopsrumors.com&utm_campaign=2023-02-16_bbr) and [Chris Paul](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/paulch01.html?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.hoopsrumors.com&utm_campaign=2023-02-16_bbr) on Team USA in 2012, when the Americans went undefeated in the London Olympics. [Kevin Love](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/loveke01.html?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.hoopsrumors.com&utm_campaign=2023-02-16_bbr) if he finalizes a [buyout](https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2023/02/kevin-love-cavaliers-nearing-buyout-agreement.html) with the Cavaliers, Brian Windhorst of ESPN said in an appearance on Pardon the Interruption ( [YouTube link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTeMjIBhnKk&t=411s)).

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Image courtesy of "cleveland.com"

What should we make of Cleveland Cavs saying Goodbye to Kevin ... (cleveland.com)

After missing a dozen games in a row, Kevin Love has asked the Cavaliers for a buyout of his contract.

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Suns Reportedly Interested in Kevin Love (Sports Illustrated)

The Suns are one of the reported teams interested in Kevin Love, who is expected to reach a buyout with the Cleveland Cavaliers according to ESPN NBA insider ...

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Latest on Kevin Love (Yardbarker)

Love and the Cavs are working on a contract buyout, and he has already been linked to the Heat, Trail Blazers, Warriors and Suns (full post). There are a few ...

Machado signed a 10-year, $300 million contract in free agency with the Padres prior to the 2019 season, and by opting out after this season he would leave $150 million of that deal on the table. Fields will be happy to hear the latest development, but it's worth noting that he may not be in Chicago for much longer. It gets super cold in Chicago during the winter and if the Bears don't somehow get a dome, Fields thinks it could hinder his ability to bring the city a Super Bowl. In the past two offseasons, the Mets signed veteran Max Scherzer to a three-year, $130 million contract and Justin Verlander to a two-year, $86.7 million deal. The Mets' contract offer to deGrom was in the ballpark of three years and $120 million, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. To quote the oldest sports cliché in the book, "the best ability is availability." Such a development would probably require some help from the state, but the top official in Illinois is not interested in giving a “private business” like the Chicago Bears assistance to pay for the project. Shortstop, left field, and the final spot in the rotation are up for grabs as Atlanta looks to return to the Fall Classic. They are only allowed to have below 14 players on their active roster during the season for a total of two weeks, so Utah will need to sign a player to a standard contract for the remainder of the season. “Miami is reportedly a frontrunner for Love and may have the clearest path to consistent playing time for him with their lack of frontcourt depth. However, Pritzker shut down that possibility when he said, “I am of the opinion that it’s not our obligation as the state to step in and provide major funding, and I certainly don’t want to burden taxpayers with major support for a private business." The Chicago Bears’ plans to build a new stadium in the coming years were hit with some bad news after the governor of Illinois revealed the state will not foot any of the bills for the billion-dollar endeavor.

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