Jake Fischer: This is just from my understanding, I would think that they would talk to Kevin Love first before moving him anywhere. I think that’s the kind of relationship that Cleveland has with him at this point.
NBA Rumor: Kevin Love Trade?
302 rumors in this storyline
More Rumors in this Storyline
Chris Fedor on trade candidates to watch: Here are the names that I’ve heard: I think both (Bojan and Bogdan) Bogdanovics would make sense. Gordon Hayward, whose salary lines up with Kevin Love… Tobias Harris, Harrison Barnes, Gary Trent Jr., Jeremi Grant, Aaron Gordon. And this is one that I’m watching. I think it’s less likely than it was when the postseason started, but it’s one that I’ve heard kicked around inside the walls of Cleveland. It’s Andrew Wiggins of the Warriors.
For one, LeBron has another year left on his contract. So if he were to try and get back to Cleveland for next season, when the Cavs could be really good, Cleveland would either have to trade a bunch of the young players that are part of the team’s exciting core — which LeBron really likes — and probably throw in Kevin Love’s expiring $30 million contract, which the Lakers probably wouldn’t want in a rebuild. Two summers from now, LeBron would be a free agent, but he’s said his last goal in the NBA is to play with his eldest son, Bronny, who as of now will be NBA draft-eligible in the summer of 2024. The easiest, most logical place for the James family to play together is in Los Angeles, where the Lakers, with Paul’s help, can draft or sign him as a free agent. It’s much cleaner if Paul tries to direct Bronny to a team where his dad already plays.
Kevin Love not that available anymore?
Competing teams get the sense that Isaac Okoro and Kevin Love aren’t readily available, a notable shift on Love in recent years.
And while Kevin Love entered this season open to trade scenarios, the veteran has played an integral reserve role during Cleveland’s surprise season and has enjoyed the Cavaliers’ new playoff-chasing environment, one source familiar with Love told B/R.
Chris Fedor on Kevin Love trade talks: In terms of trades, Kevin jokes all the time that he’s been in trade rumors since the moment he arrived in Cleveland back in 2014 from the Timberwolves. The Cavaliers stayed firm over the last couple of years that they were not going to attach a first-round pick or salary dump him. They said to everybody around the league, willing to listen, “We believe Kevin can be an asset. We’re going to try and get the most out of Kevin rather than just salary dumping him and giving up an asset just to move on from him. That doesn’t benefit us.”
The Cavaliers have periodically explored trading Love — a scenario he supports — but have been unable to find a deal they’re willing to execute, sources said. The arrivals of three significantly younger frontcourt players in the past year — including center Jarrett Allen, No. 3 overall pick Evan Mobley and forward Lauri Markkanen from the Bulls — could impact Love’s minutes with the Cavaliers.
Barry Jackson: If Heat loses bidding war for Lowry & doesn’t get Dinwiddie or Ball (or Paul,Conley obviously), there is Sexton interest. But Heat likely wouldn’t have enough to appeal to Cleveland unless Love included&Heat would then be up against tax in 22-23. Cavs said to want lot if deal him
One wildcard: The Cleveland Cavaliers and the No. 3 pick. There has been some debate about what direction the Cavaliers will go on draft night. Mobley has been largely discussed there, as well as the potential of Green and even Suggs. The Cavs are also engaging teams in trade discussions surrounding guard Collin Sexton and hope to move Kevin Love and his remaining $60 million elsewhere, per sources.
I asked one executive from an opposing team if the Cavs could get the Sixers’ Ben Simmons for a package of Love and Sexton. While the money matches, the response was “no chance; Philly can do better” despite Simmons’ deflated value. Teams around the league are well aware of Sexton’s contract situation, which will hurt his value in trade talks. One source believed the Cavs should’ve traded Sexton last summer, knowing this was coming and didn’t believe the Cavs will get a pick in the top half of the draft for him because of the contract. The Cavs may not find a match and still bring Sexton back for next season, but it won’t be for a lack of trying.
The Cavs would trade Love if they could, but the two years and $60 million he has left on his contract is just too much for another team to take on, based on what they’ve seen from him over the past three seasons. “Being around these guys, I think it helps elevate my mindset and my game in a big way,” Love said. “That doesn’t really faze me. I’m 13 years in now and I’ve heard it all. All I can do is go out there, chase the game, let everything fall into place, bust my ass and see what I can do for this team.”
No conversations between Kevin Love, Cavaliers about a buyout yet
Moving on from Love isn’t easy. His trade value has cratered, currently seen leaguewide as a negative asset because of his age, injury history, massive contract (owed $60 million over next two years) and public outbursts. Opposing teams want the Cavs to give up at least a draft pick or a young player in a Love swap. The Cavs aren’t in position to do that.
For some in the front office, the idea of a waive-and-stretch [with Kevin Love] is a non-starter. In this scenario, Love would be gone while still counting against the salary cap at $12 million per season for five years. That’s a burdensome financial hit that would impact team building and salary flexibility moving forward;
Sources say there have been no conversations with Love about a buyout either. The sense I get: Love would have to initiate those talks while also giving up some salary to make it worth it. Another factor that looms: Love’s contract will be expiring following this season, giving him more trade value.
Of course, there’s the elder statesman of the group: Kevin Love. The five-time All-Star is going to be 33 at the start of next season. Altman assured he wasn’t at 100% at any point of the season in his presser due to his calf injury, and insisted that Love “eats humble pie” when he sees his public displays of frustration all over the internet. The Cavs GM added that they’re the only ones who see Love’s vulnerability. “He has his moments, but he’s ours and he’s uniquely Kevin Love,” Altman said. The source added that if Love was a drain on the organization and had a poor attitude indicative of these “very highly visible” moments that the Cavs would be thinking about going in another direction. However, they do not see that as the case.
Koby Altman on Kevin Love: 'We want him to be here'
The Cavs will add another talented player high in the draft, and there are plans to sign veteran free agents this summer. But the young guys need someone to show them the way, and Altman feels that’s a perfect role for Love. “We want him to be here,” Atlman said. “We signed him to an extension (four years, $120 million in 2019) for that reason, to be here when we want to make that next step. And so we’re going to hopefully rely on him heavily next year after a significant summer.”
Koby Altman: Kevin Love 'can really help' Cavaliers
Rick Noland: Altman says Love “can really help us”
Chris Fedor: The view of Kevin around the league and the view of Kevin within the organization is very, very different. So the rest of the NBA is telling the Cavs, We’re doing you a favor by taking Kevin, you give us something, you give us a draft pick in this stage of a rebuild with somebody who, on the court, the Cavs still feel like can be an asset.
At this point a trade seems far-fetched. Love’s trade value is nil. He can talk all he wants about playing for the Portland Trail Blazers — a terrible thing to say publicly. The Blazers have been an ideal fit for years. But what’s the workable deal that makes it reality? The Cavs told Love on a few occasions the best route out of Cleveland was to play better, that he was responsible for resuscitating that dying value. Instead, he’s looked miserable, moped from time to time, created headaches and hasn’t been able to stay healthy.
Kevin Love: 'Who wouldn't want to play with Damian Lillard?'
Chris Haynes: Kevin Love on “Posted Up w/ C. Haynes Pod” reveals he’d love to play for hometown Trail Blazers. “Who wouldn’t want to play with Dame Lillard?…If I was wearing a Portland jersey, that’s special. That’s playing at home.”
Since Love returned from injury on April 1, the Cavs are 4-13 and losers of six straight. They were supposed to compete for a play-in spot. Instead, they’ve imploded. When Love, 32, signed that extension, he was told by the Cavs’ front office that tanking was not the plan; competing for the playoffs was. I don’t believe he would have turned down $120 million, even if the Cavs were honest with him, but he has the right to feel frustrated and as though he’s left behind, as his teammates from those championship days have all been able to move on. Throw in Love’s frustrations over being injured so much, not to mention statistically this is the worst season of his career (10.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game), and yeah, it’s clear he is not all in on the Cleveland rebuild.
Given Toronto has raw but intriguing Chris Boucher, who has seen an uptick in minutes and production, it’s fair to wonder how much his recent rise could alter the Raptors’ view of their center spot. A source with knowledge of the Mavericks’ thinking suggested Kevin Love as a much better fit given the team’s 3-point woes and desire to surround MVP candidate Luka Doncic with shooters. Love would also help boost Dallas’ problematic defensive rebounding metrics. Still, the Mavericks have two appealing expiring contracts — Tim Hardaway Jr. ($18 million) and James Johnson ($16 million) — that would help facilitate a deal.
Nets interested in JaVale McGee
Jason Dumas: SOURCE: The Brooklyn Nets are in active discussions with the Cleveland Cavaliers to acquire JaVale McGee. Also have interest in Kevin Love
Jason Dumas: The Cavaliers will look to flip a number of their bigs for draft capital. Andre Drummond & Kevin Love could both be moved, per source. I’m told Jarrett Allen is off the table.
With Thompson gone, Love said he never expected he would be the longest tenured Cav from the 2016 champions. Matthew Dellavedova left for Milwaukee after winning the title and was traded back in December 2018. “Daniel Day-Lewis, baby,” Love joked, referring to the actor in 1992 movie The Last of the Mohicans. “As everybody knows, probably after the first week I was here, my name was thrown out — ‘Hey, we might be able to get something for him’ or ‘This would be a great trade’ or ‘Kevin’s name came up’ — with somebody pulling the name out of thin air, whether it was warranted or not. “In a way, it is a little crazy — maybe crazy is the wrong word — but there is something to be said for that. A couple of days ago I was breaking down how this is my seventh year here, my 13th year in the league and now I’m heading into being here longer than I was in Minnesota. It’s crazy how time flies and how fast-fleeting it is, for better or for worse.”
Kevin Love is also available on the trade market according to rival executives, but he’s owed $91.5 million over the next three seasons.
No market for Kevin Love?
Brian Windhorst: I was talking to an executive the other day, just this week, and I said, “Yeah, I heard that Kevin Love was back on the trade market.” And he laughed, and he goes, “Please tell me when he was off the trade market.”
Love was on the trading block for all of last season but went nowhere as the Cavs insisted on getting a first-round pick for him. That was not going to happen, not for a guy who still had $120 million over four years on his deal. Maybe that will get more palatable when it is down to three years and $91 million. The Cavs could also hold off and see how things work with Love and new center Andre Drummond but the prediction here is that won’t work out well and if Cleveland can find a taker for Love, go for it. Eastern Conference exec: “Not happening. He is 32 (in September) and can’t stay healthy. His numbers are so-so. Maybe a team looking for a shakeup—Phoenix is a possibility—might take the risk. But you’ll be paying $30 million a year to a guy in decline in his 30s. That is a hard sell.”
The Cavs will not do a salary dump for Love. They want some combination of draft picks and young, ascending players for Love. Now, in order to get that kind of haul, which many around the league continue to scoff at, the Cavs would likely need to take back a bloated salary. In that kind of package, the draft pick would be considered the Cavs’ sweetener in exchange for the other team’s bad, lengthier salary. It’s clear Cleveland’s view on Love doesn’t align with the rest of the league. That’s normal. The Cavs like him. They don’t regret the signing. They were expecting a monster season before his emotions intervened and 2019-20 went off the rails under John Beilein. But circumstances surrounding Love’s down year have changed and he’s set up to rebound. It could allow him to alter his trade value.
But the Cavs want to compete in 2020-21. This is Year 3 of the rebuild, the season everyone in the organization, including owner Dan Gilbert, has been pointing toward in hopes of taking the next step. Andre Drummond’s arrival at the deadline accelerates the rebuild timeline. Bickerstaff is locked in as head coach. The Cavs are expecting internal improvements from the core of youngsters and many of their top rotational pieces will be back. If the Cavs are going to take that next step and at least get closer to the playoff picture, they will need Love, their best — and most important — player. Plus, what’s the point of dumping Love? What would the Cavs do with that extra salary space? In a weak free agent class, there’s no one to sign, so no rush to move on from Love — unless the Cavs get a quality offer that makes them a better team in the short and long term.
Despite two rough years, the Cavs still view him as their best — and most impactful — player. The league sees him in a different way — an oft-injured 31-year-old forward with a bloated contract whose best basketball is in the past and may become unhappy in certain situations. The trade offers have reflected that. Until his value, league-wide and internally, more closely aligns, it’s hard to see a trade.
The Cavs were eager to make him the offensive focal point once again. Privately, they were predicting a “monster” season under new head coach John Beilein. It was a chance for Love to recoup his value and start living up to his contract. Things didn’t go according to plan. Love clashed with Beilein, grew frustrated with the team’s lack of competitiveness and college environment, outwardly pouted when things turned acrimonious and wanted a trade.
There was also the game in Toronto around New Year’s when Love pounded the bench and momentarily pulled himself from the game. According to sources close to Love, that was a breaking point, letting his trade desire be known to those around him. That moment also led to Love being fined and lashing out at Beilein and the organization for the improper way the fine was delivered.
Nothing has changed on the Love front. Even though he was peeved at various points this season — openly pouting, venting and verbalizing his misery — that was during a time when Beilein was still around and the team looked like a dumpster fire. Love has a phenomenal relationship with Bickerstaff that goes back to their days in Minnesota. Bickerstaff will have a better understanding of how to keep Love engaged and happy.
Would Love still prefer to play for a contender? Of course. It’s incredibly challenging to go from four years of chasing titles to two straight of chasing lottery ping-pong balls. The Cavs being more competitive, just as they were in the 11 games under Bickerstaff before the league shutdown, helped. How the Cavs start 2020-21 — if Love is still on the roster — will be key. But enough has changed since his desire to be traded that it won’t be harmful to keep Love around and the veteran won’t force his way out.
Those are the kinds of numbers the Cavs continue to focus on. They see plenty of value in keeping Love, whose bloated contract, injury history and age play into being the centerpiece of trade chatter. If the Cavs get what they deem a fair offer, they will pursue some combination of draft picks and young players — as unrealistic as some NBA officials consider that demand. That’s the rub. The Cavs’ view of Love doesn’t align with the rest of the league. Until that gap narrows, Love is likely to stay in Cleveland.
The thing is, the reality of Cleveland’s situation may prevent that from happening. Right now, Love, Drummond and Larry Nance Jr., all staples for the Cavaliers’ big man rotation account for roughly 52% of the team’s payroll at $68.7 million. Next season, Nance will be here under contract and the team will likely have both Love and Drummond here as well, per league sources. Drummond plans on opting into his $28.7 million player option and Love will be hard to move with the NBA salary cap expected to go down due to the coronavirus pandemic. With that in mind, all three aforementioned players will combine for $78.1 million total next year.
The thing is, the reality of Cleveland’s situation may prevent that from happening. Right now, Love, Drummond and Larry Nance Jr., all staples for the Cavaliers’ big man rotation account for roughly 52% of the team’s payroll at $68.7 million. Next season, Nance will be here under contract and the team will likely have both Love and Drummond here as well, per league sources. Drummond plans on opting into his $28.7 million player option and Love will be hard to move with the NBA salary cap expected to go down due to the coronavirus pandemic. With that in mind, all three aforementioned players will combine for $78.1 million total next year.
If the Cavs get an offer they deem worthy then they will consider it. But they still see him as a valuable piece, one that threads the needle between their present and future. They aren’t going to give him away for nothing. They aren’t going to accept a salary dump either. Sources maintain it will take a combination of picks and players for the Cavs to send him elsewhere. Get ready for more Love trade rumors this summer, especially given the dearth of impact free agents available. Listening and accepting are two different things.
Love’s unhappiness was obvious. He vented on the court at different points. Those close to him continued to reiterate Love’s desire for a trade. But much of that seemed tied to Beilein and a frustrating situation. Beilein’s departure paved the way for J.B. Bickerstaff to take over, which helps when it comes to Love’s future. Beyond Love’s numbers rising in that short stint, his attitude also improved.
As for trading Love for “peanuts,” that wont happen. The Cavs continue to value him. They don’t regret the contract extension. Plus, they have no urgency to dump salary. The potential restricted free agent market dried up with contract extensions for Buddy Hield, Domantas Sabonis, Jaylen Brown, Dillon Brooks and others this season. The one restricted free agent with appeal is Brandon Ingram. Multiple sources expect the New Orleans Pelicans to match any offer sheet. So, that path, one that changed with the Drummond addition, is no longer available.
Love’s unhappiness was obvious. He vented on the court at different points. Those close to him continued to reiterate Love’s desire for a trade. But much of that seemed tied to Beilein and a frustrating situation. Beilein’s departure paved the way for J.B. Bickerstaff to take over, which helps when it comes to Love’s future. Beyond Love’s numbers rising in that short stint, his attitude also improved.
As for trading Love for “peanuts,” that wont happen. The Cavs continue to value him. They don’t regret the contract extension. Plus, they have no urgency to dump salary. The potential restricted free agent market dried up with contract extensions for Buddy Hield, Domantas Sabonis, Jaylen Brown, Dillon Brooks and others this season. The one restricted free agent with appeal is Brandon Ingram. Multiple sources expect the New Orleans Pelicans to match any offer sheet. So, that path, one that changed with the Drummond addition, is no longer available.
Dwight Jaynes: Don’t know how many times I need to say this but a Kevin Love trade was not in the cards because HE DOESN’T WANT TO PLAY IN PORTLAND!!!! That is from multiple sources. And at that contract price, dealing for him would be stupid.
Jason Lloyd: The only one that I know definitely equated to just a salary dump. Portland offered Bazemore and Whiteside, which essentially would’ve matched Kevin’s salary. But both of those are expiring contracts and the Cavs would’ve received no real assets in return. Portland eventually sent Bazemore to Sacramento.
Most teams were telling the Cavs they’d need to include assets just to get them to take Kevin’s contract. The Cavs were asking for a first-round pick. No one even came close to that. I’d expect them to resume trade talks on Kevin this summer.
That didn’t make sense for a Cavs team focused on asset accumulation at this point. “Kevin and [agent] Jeff [Schwartz] wanted a trade, but I think both knew it probably wasn’t going to happen,” the former GM said. “It’s something they’ll push for again in the summer. I think he’ll be traded this summer since the free-agent market is so bare and the draft doesn’t look like anything special. Teams need to add talent somehow.”
“There’s a lot of bad contracts they could have traded him for. The Sixers would have traded Al Horford for him, but why would Cleveland do that? They want expiring money and picks,” the former GM said. “Portland could have made a deal work, but for what? They would have really had to look at their cap space and tax money for next year and asked how far a trade for Love would really push them. Would it make them a top-four seed in the West? I don’t think so.”
I don’t know what Cleveland does with Kevin Love. There was no traction on any deal for Love, who is owed about $90 million over the final three years of his contract. That’s a relationship that needs to end, but it’s unclear how it does.
Kevin Love staying in Cleveland?
Cleveland, entering Tuesday, had nothing percolating on the Love front, which isn’t much of a surprise with three years and $91.5 million left on his contract after this season. The Cavaliers will almost certainly have to wait until the summer to resume the search for a trade partner willing to absorb that sort of financial commitment when Love is 31 and regarded in some corners as injury-prone.
Clippers interested in Thompson, Love and Dedmon
The Clippers have been aggressive, no surprise considering they have the $11.5 million Mo Harkless contract and a first round pick to deal. Considering if LA doesn’t trade the pick it can’t deal another one until we colonize Mars, there is some urgency in the LA front office to get a deal done. The Clippers have kicked the tires on Kevin Love and could grab disgruntled Kings center Dewayne Dedmon, but neither are preferred options. There is some interest in Tristan Thompson in LA’s front office, per sources, as LA’s coaching staff has fretted about the team’s rebounding, particularly when Ivica Zubac is off the floor. Wing depth is a consideration for the Clippers, with Robert Covington and Iguodala among the possibilities discussed.
The Blazers seem satisfied to nibble around the edges at the deadline (Trevor Ariza has been remarkably useful) and try to make the playoffs with the current group. For what it’s worth, Love wasn’t all that enthralled with the idea of returning home to Oregon anyway, per sources.
Maybe that strong offer the Cavs aren’t currently expecting — a combination of picks and players, perhaps both — comes Thursday. If that’s the case, that would obviously change their plan. But the Cavs, sources say, will not do a salary dump — even if other teams view a Love deal as them helping the Cavs, not the other way around. Cleveland isn’t interested in attaching a pick to Love. The franchise still views him as its best player, the most valuable trade chip. “Since the second I got here I’ve been in those talks,” Love said with a smile. “It’s easy for me, I’ve settled into who I am as a basketball player and a person, so I’m easy.”
The Twitter-sphere has already dealt him to Portland, Miami, Phoenix and Denver at various points. That’s one of the many things that makes this time of year tough on guys. “It always is,” Love admitted. “In the past it was a little bit different feel because I knew 100 percent nothing was going to happen with me. It’s just a weird time every year with teams that feel they like they have a chance or are that one piece or two pieces away. The trade deadline comes in every sport, I’m sure guys are kind of sitting there waiting, have half a bag packed. You never know.”
It was one of Love’s best performances of the season. Will it be his last home game at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse? “It could be the same thing for a few guys here,” Love said. “Tristan (Thompson) didn’t play tonight. I just don’t know what’s going to happen. We’ll let the chips fall.”
The Cavs appear to have very little market for Kevin Love right now, sources say. Everything is malleable until Thursday’s deadline, but nothing appears serious on the Love front at this moment. The wild card was always Phoenix. The Suns are hard to predict. Rivals struggle to get a feel for the Suns’ objectives.
Kevin Love staying put?
The Cleveland Cavaliers reportedly aren’t going to trade Kevin Love prior to Thursday’s deadline. “Cleveland is resigned right now that there is no trade for them between now and Thursday. Unless something comes out of nowhere, essentially, they will be looking in the offseason,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on The Woj Pod.
For lottery-bound groups, this time of year is brutally tough because the primary decision-makers have to do what’s best long term. More than a few guys in that locker room sense the organization wanting to make a big shakeup, that the front office is “trying to trade Kevin and Tristan.” While it’s their job to block out any noise and focus solely on basketball, they are also human. On top of that, losing is really hard, especially home blowouts against lousy teams. There is such a thing as an acceptable loss in a rebuilding season. Saturday night, however, was not one.
So if Love’s short-term future may actually be with the Cavs, how would that sit with him? “I will be happy if I’m still here,” Love said following the Cavs’ 124-112 loss to the Washington Wizards on Thursday night. “I fully plan on continuing to help these guys, continuing to help — Tristan (Thompson), myself, Larry (Nance Jr.) these guys, being a leader with all the veterans. And this place, Cleveland, the fans, they’ve been really, really good to me. So, yes.”
While he’s not unhappy every day, plenty of aspects this season — and Cleveland’s general direction — have “driven him crazy,” according to a source. He’s been most irritated with team’s “selfish” playing style and hasn’t handled that growing frustration in the best, most mature way. He’s admitted as much. It’s also fair to wonder whether the Cavs’ thinking has shifted as well. From the very beginning, they’ve wanted to be “blown away” by an offer for Love, believing he has immense value both in the short term and long term. They believed he would be a positive influence on the young players, showing them the way off the floor while also helping alleviate some of that pressure on the court.
Everyone is wondering the same. I could see both. I know it’s not the answer anyone wants, but the Love situation is complex. The most challenging questions to answer, in no particular order, are these: Have his actions this season — on and off the court — necessitated a move? Is the relationship with him and the Cavs so dire that keeping him around would actually be harmful? Would he be understanding and stay locked in if the Cavs didn’t trade him in a few weeks? […] Internally, the Cavs were hoping his value would rise, believing Love would rebound and put up big numbers in Beilein’s system after an injury-riddled season a year ago. There were even some who felt the best offers would come after this season.
Part of the barrier is the Cavs’ view of Love doesn’t match the NBA’s view of him. Love wants to be traded. That has been his preference for at least a month. He wants to play for a winner, with teammates that are at the same stage of their career — or at least closer — when it comes to knowledge, experience and talent. The growing pains, both with young players and Beilein trying to make the transition from college to the pros, have worn on Love. He’s still trying to manage his frustration. Sticking around beyond the deadline could cause him to explode again.
Love certainly could help the Blazers, or Pacers, or Rockets. But that contract is hard to match up in a way that makes sense for Cleveland, which understandably is asking for a lot in return. “I don’t think Kevin has a lot of value,” a Western Conference executive said Monday. “The contract is obvious, but you know he is going to miss games with the toll on his body… I don’t see teams taking Kevin on (without) at least taking back a first-round draft pick or multiple seconds.”
With the Blazers (16-23) sliding so far in the standings, it’s hard to envision them making that kind of move at the moment. What’s more, there is serious skepticism from key people close to the Blazers that Love will ever find his way to his home region team in the Northwest.
Love apologized Tuesday for some of his recent behavior on the court, then went out and scored 30 points in a loss to the Detroit Pistons. He finished 12-of-15 shooting from the field — but attempted just two shots in the fourth quarter as the Cavaliers blew a 12-point lead. He is averaging 16.4 points and 10.3 rebounds on the season. “The Cavs have communicated to him, ‘Help us help you,'” Windhorst said. “Do you want to get traded? Then come in and have a good attitude every day and put up numbers. And there have been periods this season where Cavs has done that. But there have been several times this season where he’s lost his cool a little bit, and we’re all watching for it.”
The Cavs want to trade Love, who is obviously unhappy in Cleveland, but he’s in the first year of a four-year, $120 million contract. The others who are on expiring deals are Tristan Thompson (arguably their most attractive trade asset), Matthew Dellavedova and Ante Zizic. Dellavedova has playoff and championship experience as a backup point guard, but he’s averaging 2.7 points and shooting 31 percent, including 12.5 percent from 3-point range.
Angel Gray: #Cavs Kevin Love addressed A LOT in media this morning. “I let my emotions get the best of me and I can’t do that. Starting on New Year’s Eve I wasn’t acting like a 31 yr old but a 13yr old.” “It’s been tough especially w/ record but I love my teammates and have to be better”.
Marla Ridenour: #Cavs’ Kevin Love said he doesn’t know if he’ll be here five more months or five more weeks.
The latest comes from ESPN insider Brian Windhorst, a native of Akron, Ohio, and former Cavs beat reporter. Windhorst addressed the Love situation on his podcast, The Hoop Collective. “He absolutely, totally wants to get out of there,” Windhorst said. “It has driven him various levels of crazy to be there this season.”
“I think there’s teams that would do it,” said Windhorst. “One of the things that’s been remarkable to me as I’ve talked to some people around the league about Kevin in the last 48-72 hours is there’s a lot of people who really, really value him and really like him, but the problem is because of the contract, it’s a difficult to come up with a trade for. Because the Cavs are viewing trading an All-Star level player. The other teams are saying ‘Yeah, he’s a good player but we’re taking on this money.’ They think they’re bailing the Cavs out.”
Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love had a verbal altercation with general manager Koby Altman following Saturday’s shootaround, league sources confirm to cleveland.com. Love, the team’s franchise player, was unhappy with Altman’s decision to fine him $1,000 for an outburst during a 20-point loss against the Toronto Raptors on Dec. 31, 2019.
This is now the second time this season Love and Altman have had a talk about attitude, engagement and body language, sources tell cleveland.com. The first time, sources say, was in early December following a string of awful, disengaged single-digit performances by the five-time All-Star. After that first chat with Altman, ahead of Cleveland’s Dec. 11 home game against Houston, Love went on an impressive run, scoring double figures in eight of the next nine games. His attitude shifted as well.
Love, who has repeatedly been mentioned in trade rumors, would prefer to be moved before the deadline, sources say, but he has not yet demanded a trade. The Cavs aren’t in any hurry to move their best player and top asset, especially if they can’t get a deal they like, but they are willing to listen to offers. If Love asks out before the Feb. 6 trade deadline, that could change the organization’s thinking.
Love blows up on Cavs organization
Kevin Love had an emotional verbal outburst directed toward general manager Koby Altman following shootaround on Saturday, expressing his displeasure and disgust with the organization, league sources told The Athletic. Love was screaming in front of teammates and Cavs coaches and front-office members that there was “no feel here,” league sources said.
Love was fined $1,000 by the Cavs for an outburst on the bench on Dec. 31 in Toronto, sources said, and disagreed with the fine. He was spotted by cameras slapping chairs on the Cavaliers bench away from the team huddle in the third quarter of the blowout. He asked a Cavs coach to take him out of the game so he could cool down. During the next timeout, when a coach asked what was wrong, Love said he didn’t like how selfish the first unit was playing, sources said.
Cavs seeking Kevin Love trade
Teams have shown resistance to taking on Love’s three years and over $90 million, but the Cavaliers will continue working to find a suitable spot before the February deadline. Memphis remains confident it can find a trade for Iguodala, wanting assets in form of draft pick(s).
Instead, Phoenix is looking to add to its roster. Kevin Love could be a possibility, but the team is believed to have more interest in Oklahoma City Thunder forward Danilo Gallinari.
More moves for the Cavs?
The Cavaliers plan to start uprooting veterans on the roster to gather more draft picks and young assets. Clarkson, 27, is averaging 14.6 points per game, including a season-high 33 points on 12-of-27 shooting in Friday’s victory over Memphis. The Cavaliers are projected to have more than $28 million in salary-cap space for free agency.
Sources say the Cavs didn’t feel confident about their chances of getting a first-round pick for Clarkson in this market, so they took a pair of future seconds — a 2022 from San Antonio and a 2023 from Golden State, sources say. The move puts Cleveland about $5.1 million below the luxury tax threshold, which gives the team more financial flexibility when it comes to other deals. Make no mistake, more are coming between now and the trade deadline on Feb. 6. Players are already bracing for those shakeups.
Could I see it? I could see … I just don’t … What’s going to happen with us this summer? Or at the trade deadline? I just don’t know. It’s just tough because, and I’m not a religious guy by any means, but the old saying “You want to make God laugh? Tell him your plans.” Listen, obviously it’s a tough go right now. We’ve got (six) wins. But in some ways, the grass isn’t always greener. You just don’t know how the shit is going to shake out. Ever. In anything.
Kevin Love: So could I see it? Yes and no. It’s tough for me to answer. If we got a year or two down the line — I don’t know what their plans are for me even in the short term. But if it got there and we weren’t getting any better, it might make sense for them to completely go young. Maybe it’s that way now. See? That’s the end of your article. With a question mark at the end.
Kevin Love will be one of the biggest names available. He’s been linked to the Portland Trail Blazers (10-16) for years—in part because he played at Lake Oswego High School in Oregon. “Sometimes the obvious happens,” a former Western Conference executive said. “Something like [Hassan] Whiteside, Mario Hezonja, [Anfernee] Simons, Gary Trent and a first. You have to give something to get something.”
Sagar Trika: Lowe still thinks Cleveland will get a first round draft pick for Love. Mentions Portland as a suitor and says Phoenix might sniff around.
Love, Thompson on the trading block?
The Cavs are open for business, and that’s no surprise. The have seven players with expiring contracts, and they’re trying to recoup assets they lost during the LeBron James-era title chases. If you’ve paid attention, they did the same last season. Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson are veterans who could be on the move if the deal is right.
It is difficult for Boston to cobble together enough salary to add a major piece without including one of its core players. Boston does have Daniel Theis ($5M), Enes Kanter ($4.8M), all its own first-rounders and additional picks from Milwaukee and Memphis, but that’s not enough money to target a player like the Spurs’ LaMarcus Aldridge or the Cavaliers’ Kevin Love — unless Boston is willing to put Marcus Smart or Gordon Hayward in a deal, which is unlikely to happen.
Sunday, of course, is the first day players who were acquired in the offseason are eligible to be traded, even though Neil Olshey, the team’s top executive, said this week there is nothing brewing. That hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from heating up, which has included one report saying Kevin Love would prefer a trade to Portland. That rumor apparently reached the eyes and ears of Whiteside, who during Tuesday’s game against New York was shouting during play to Anthony that “Kevin Love doesn’t rebound like that!” “And Kevin Love doesn’t block shots like that, either,” Whiteside said Thursday when asked about the Tuesday exchange. “The trade talk … it don’t enter my mind a lot. I was more just messing with Melo. I’m not thinking about it. If we are struggling on defense and you want to (trade him), I mean, good luck. Good luck with that.”
As the Cavaliers figure out their direction under new coach John Beilein, Kevin Love is in limbo. He is the most notable veteran player on a team that is in a transition period, but he has three years and over $90 million left on his contract. As we reported in our Inside Pass on Monday, Love prefers a trade to a contending team. He has his contract extension, but that deal and the Cavaliers’ asking price is what is giving interested teams major pause, I’m told.
The Cavaliers are going to have a difficult time trading Kevin Love because of his mammoth contract, multiple league sources have told The Athletic. Love is in the first year of a four-year, $120 million extension he signed in the weeks after LeBron James left.
The Cavs are asking for a first-round pick in exchange for Love, one source with knowledge of the situation said. But teams are actually asking for a first-round pick from Cleveland just to absorb the final 3 1/2 years on his deal. It only takes one injury or one team to change all of that, but at this point, the gap between what the Cavs want and what is being offered seems pretty wide.
One league executive, whose team has not discussed a Love deal with the Cavs, believes they may eventually be able to get a first-round pick for him, depending on how much salary the Cavs are willing to take back. There are a few complications, beginning with the fact there aren’t many bad contracts left in the league.
Love has been mentioned frequently, but is a question mark. There was a report that Portland is his favored destination, but I have not been able to substantiate that and, in fact, have been told by people close to him that the report is not necessarily true. And the other concern with Love – who is obviously a terrific player with championship pedigree – are his injuries. Over his last three seasons, he has played 60, 59, and 22 games. At an average salary of $30.1 million over the next three seasons, his availability is a concern.
Love would prefer to play for his hometown Portland Trail Blazers, according to multiple league sources. The Blazers make perfect sense as a destination for Love; they need help for Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum after the team has been decimated by injuries. Last week, Rodney Hood suffered a ruptured left Achilles tendon, joining Jusuf Nurkic (broken leg) and Zach Collins (dislocated left shoulder) on the sideline. Nurkic will return this season, and Love would be a terrific frontcourt partner because of his perimeter shooting and playmaking ability. Portland could then play big upfront, which would be valuable in a series against a team with a bigger frontcourt, like the Lakers. Or, it could go with Love at center, which could be useful against the Rockets, who often size down with P.J. Tucker at center.
“Nothing’s changed,” Love told ESPN after Cleveland’s morning shootaround at TD Garden. “What I mean by that is, since I got here they’ve been … since I f—— got here there’s been talk of me being traded, so it’s nothing different. If they decide to go that way, I’ve just got to know it’s part of the business, or if we decide to go that way, it’s part of the business.” “Truthfully, I don’t know how it’s going to play out, because I see both sides,” he added.
As the lone player over 30 on a roster featuring six players under 25, four players in their first or second-year and a first-year coach in John Beilein, Love’s name stands out as Cleveland’s most obvious trade candidate. “I imagine, in a rebuild, it’s easy to look at it, especially when it’s down and out at this point, and say, ‘Hey, we want to completely reset the deck and go young,'” Love told ESPN. “I understand that. “But despite that, whether it’s five months or five years, I’m always going to be able to come back to Cleveland no matter what, and I’ll always love the fans, and be part of this organization, one way or another.”
Windhorst suggests Love’s relationship with John Beilein has expedited Cleveland’s timeline on a trade. “Love showed up for training camp two days before. Kevin was living his best life out in the world. I think that was a message right there,” said Windhorst. “He’s clearly unhappy.”
Cavaliers forward Kevin Love prefers a move to a contending team, league sources tell The Athletic. Cleveland has been open to engaging in discussions with teams, as ESPN reported on Friday. Love has three years and $90 million remaining on his contract after this season.
According to various reports, players like Dennis Schroeder, DeMar DeRozan and Kevin Love could be made available via trade by their respective teams. The Knicks, per a source, are keeping their ‘eye on a lot of players’ as we enter trade season.
March 22, 2023 | 9:21 pm EDT Update
Walt “Clyde” Frazier said he’d been “meandering” all day on Wednesday, one day after the loss of his longtime friend, captain and championship teammate, Willis Reed. “It took me so long to get dressed today,” the famously fashionable Frazier said softly before working Wednesday’s game between the Knicks and the Heat as the longtime analyst for MSG Networks. “It’s been devastating. After seeing him on the video for the 50th anniversary, I didn’t know he was that far gone. Everybody was really surprised.”
Law Murray: Clippers injury report for Thursday night: – Paul George (right knee) out – Norman Powell (left shoulder) out – Brandon Boston Jr. (tailbone) out – Jason Preston (G-League) out – Moussa Diabaté (2-way) out – Xavier Moon (2-way) out
Damichael Cole: A loud standing ovation for Ja Morant in his return to the floor. pic.twitter.com/0LrY2x5Afb
March 22, 2023 | 8:24 pm EDT Update
Mike Brown on Domantas Sabonis: He's as close to Draymond Green as a big man
Sabonis leads the NBA in rebounding and is dishing a career-high 7 assists per game. Every teammate — even Fox — knows to run the wings when Sabonis grabs a defensive board. “He is as close to Draymond Green as any big man I’ve seen in terms of someone who can get it off the glass, bring it up, and make the right play,” says Brown, who coached Green as an assistant in Golden State for six seasons.
During Sabonis’ rookie year in Oklahoma City, Russell Westbrook invited Sabonis to early-morning workouts to go through the nuances of pick-and-roll, says Billy Donovan, who coached that Thunder team. They drilled how to read a defender’s feet, when Sabonis could slip screens, how Sabonis could make himself available for pocket passes. (One of Sabonis’ rookie duties was supplying Westbrook with Snapple for team flights, Sabonis and others on that team recall.) Sabonis was astonished that Fox ceded so much ball handling to him right away, including letting Sabonis rush the ball up after rebounds. “I was really surprised,” Sabonis says. “He has been with the Kings forever. This is his team. He really let me do my thing. Not many franchise point guards would let their big man bring the ball up. He ran with me. He set screens for me. That’s what shocked me most. That’s what made the transition so easy. Neither of us care who is who. We just want to win.”
Sabonis suffered an avulsion fracture in his right thumb and ligament damage in his hand. Fixing it required surgery that would cost between six and eight weeks. The Kings were 17-14, sixth in the West, only a couple games ahead of No. 11. Sabonis wanted to keep playing. “In my mind, sitting out was not an option,” he says. “Six to eight weeks — we can’t risk that.” He asked the team’s medical staff to wait to see if the swelling would subside. It did — enough. He joked that he didn’t use his right hand anyway. After consulting with doctors, trainers, and Sabonis’ agents, the decision was made: He’d play on. The training staff nicknamed him “Wolverine” for his apparent imperviousness to pain.
“He didn’t always understand — this should come from you,” Brown says. “To tape that thumb up and say ‘I’m playing,’ it sets the tone for the whole team. If he and De’Aaron are doing things like that, everyone else falls into line.”
