Kevin Love to South Beach?
The Cleveland Cavaliers and power forward/center Kevin Love have reportedly begun discussing a buyout as the two parties look to go their separate ways, and it could potentially come as soon as NBA All-Star Weekend, according to ESPN.
Love — who is averaging 8.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game — played nine seasons for the Cavaliers and is the last player remaining from the 2016 championship team. He requested a buyout from the franchise Feb. 15, sources told ESPN. Love is in the final year of his contract with Cleveland with a salary of $31.2 million. But he hasn’t played for the team for the majority of the past month, missing the team’s last 12 games.
One team that Love could potentially land with in free agency is the Miami Heat, which has an open spot on its roster and have recently been in the market for a big man, according to The Athletic. The Heat could potentially land Kevin Love and put him in a reserve role with plentiful minutes behind All-Star power forward/center Bam Adebayo.
Currently, Miami is in the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference with a 32-27 record, but has the potential to shoot up in the standings, only being a half-game behind the No. 6 New York Knicks and 2 1/2 behind the fifth-place Nets.
Have been told Heat are prioritizing something big over Westbrook or Beverley, after examining those options. So Love or Ibaka appear to be priorities. As of now.
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) February 16, 2023
If I’m Miami, I’m going all in on Russell Westbrook and Kevin Love, rather than just Love or Ibaka.
I want all-out aggression, I’m tired of the pussy-footing around from my Heat where we’re “rumored” to be involved with literally every available player in free agency or the trade market, just to do absolutely nothing. And after the recent game against the Brooklyn Nets, needless to say, I’m a bit irritated with my boys at the moment:
Mikal Bridges scored 45 points off of 17-24 shooting. The level of ass that makes us look like is completely inexcusable. What a garbage loss. @MiamiHEAT
— Andrew Powell (@AndrewPowellDC) February 16, 2023
I’m sorry, but I can’t keep going on rants like this — I want glory!
The @MiamiHEAT need to get away from this ‘undrafted players’ culture. Yeah, it’s producing solid players, but it’s not winning championships.
Let’s go back to the days where we set off nuclear bombs in the @NBA when we landed @KingJames and @ChrisBosh with @DwyaneWade in 2010,… https://t.co/hTvxdX3YUM
— Andrew Powell (@AndrewPowellDC) February 16, 2023
C’mon, Miami. Give us Heat fans what we want: Russell Westbrook and Kevin Love. (RELATED: Matisse Thybulle Spray-Paints Goodbye Message To Philadelphia After Being Traded From 76ers)
It at least gives us a damn chance in the playoffs. I’m tired of 32-27 basketball.