Getty Kevin Love, Cavaliers
With the decision to let Jared Dudley walk in free agency, it appeared that the Los Angeles Lakers were committed to using their few remaining roster spots on youth. That wouldn’t be a bad move but a new option may present itself to the team. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Cleveland Cavaliers have landed forward Lauri Markkanen in a sign-and-trade with the Chicago Bulls and Portland Trail Blazers.
Now that they have a 24-year-old seven-footer, the Cavaliers really don’t have a need to keep Kevin Love on the roster. The five-time All-Star hasn’t been able to make much of an impact since LeBron James left the team but he’s stuck around thanks to the four-year $120 million contract he signed in 2019. With Markkanen headed to Cleveland, the team could pursue a buyout that would let Love hit free agency. At 32-years-old and several injury-plagued seasons, he isn’t the impact player he once was. However, he might not let Cleveland off the hook so easily. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Love is not interested in negotiating his way out of the two years and $60 million he’s owed.
“There have been no talks with Cleveland on a buyout, nor is there any interest from Kevin in doing a buyout,” Love’s agent Jeff Schwartz told ESPN.
Love could possibly lose a lot of money if agrees to a buyout. It sounds like he’ll stay put for now but he could change his mind if has interesting in reuniting with Russell Westbrook and LeBron in Los Angeles.
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Love to Lakers Makes a Lot of Sense
There are a lot of factors at play that would make the Lakers the ideal destination for Love. Obviously, the team can’t pay him as much as he was making in Cleveland but he’s not likely to get a big offer elsewhere in free agency.
If he joined the Lakers, he would reunite with LeBron, who he won a championship with in 2016. Not only that, he’d be able to reunite with former UCLA teammate Russell Westbrook. The two were college teammates from 2007-2008 and helped lead the Bruins to two Final Four appearances. Westbrook and Love have never had the chance to play together in the NBA.
A move to the Lakers also makes sense for Love due to the fact that he was born in Santa Monica, California. He was raised in Oregon but does have strong ties to Southern California.
Will Love Sign With Lakers?
Before Love can sign anywhere, he has to be bought out by the Cavaliers. That appears to be the likely outcome as the team doesn’t have a need for an aging forward. They need to rebuild with young players and Love doesn’t fit their current situation. If he’s bought out, there should be several teams willing to bring him in on a minimum deal.
As previously noted, the former All-Star was raised in Oregon. Perhaps joining Damian Lillard on the Portland Trail Blazers could appeal to him. In Oregon, Love spent a lot of time with Klay Thompson growing up. He could want to reunite with his old friend on the Golden State Warriors. Both the Warriors and Trail Blazers would likely offer Love a bigger role.
However, the Lakers would offer him his best chance at winning another championship. The team actually doesn’t have a true power forward to backup Anthony Davis. Marc Gasol and Dwight Howard should only be playing center at this stage in their careers. Carmelo Anthony can play a bit of power forward but that’s not his natural position. Getting a guy like Love to add depth at power forward would be a nice pickup for the Lakers this late into free agency.
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