The Cleveland Cavaliers are being urged to add a former 2016 NBA champion and a franchise legend to their roster as they look to get over the hump in the Eastern Conference next season.
According to NBA insider Brian Windhorst of ESPN on The Hoop Collective podcast, the Cavaliers should sign Kevin Love, who played nine seasons in Cleveland, as he remains a free agent this deep in the offseason.
Kevin Love Could Return To The Cleveland Cavaliers
GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 24: Donovan Mitchell #45 and Kevin Love #0 of the Cleveland Cavaliers react in the third quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on January 24, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
“The Cavs are looking for a big man, and Kevin Love is out there,” Windhorst, who has coveted the Cavaliers intensively for over two decades, said. “That’s a guy to keep an eye on for Cleveland.”
During his time in Cleveland from 2014 to 2023, he won an NBA championship in 2016 and helped the team reach four straight NBA Finals as one of the co-stars for LeBron James, the team’s hometown star.
He left Cleveland in February 2023 after his contract was bought out. He then played in that year’s NBA Finals with the Miami Heat but lost to the Nikola Jokic-led Denver Nuggets.
Love transitioned into a valuable locker room leader and backup stretch big, playing limited minutes across the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 seasons.
During the 2025-2026 NBA season, Love played for the Utah Jazz, appearing in 37 games and averaging 6.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 16.6 minutes per contest while shooting 37.3% from the 3-point range.
Love would add floor-spacing, elite defensive rebounding, and championship-level leadership off the bench.
His ability to fire from deep helps open driving lanes for guards like James Harden and Donovan Mitchell, easing interior congestion.
He would also help mentor Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen in the frontcourt, as Love is familiar with his game.
Love was teammates with Mitchell, Mobley and Allen in his last few years in Cleveland.
The Cavaliers have two roster spots remaining after signing James Harden and trading for Peyton Watson.
Notably, teams often leave the 15th spot empty heading into training camp for financial flexibility or to potentially convert a two-way contract player later in the year.
Cleveland Cavaliers Offseason Deals So Far
GettyDETROIT, MICHIGAN – MAY 13: James Harden #1 and Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers look on against the Detroit Pistons during overtime in Game Five of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena on May 13, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Adding Kevin Love would be the cherry on top of the Cavaliers’ 2026 offseason.
The Cavaliers shaped their offseason around retaining veteran star James Harden on a new three-year, $97 million contract and acquiring young wing talent via a complex multi-team sign-and-trade to bolster their rotation.
Earlier in the offseason, franchise star Donovan Mitchell signed a four-year maximum contract extension with the Cavaliers.
They also landed breakout forward Peyton Watson from the Denver Nuggets in a massive five-team trade that also included the LA Clippers, Washington Wizards, and Charlotte Hornets.
To acquire Watson—who joined Cleveland via a four-year, $88 million sign-and-trade agreement—as well as forward Cam Whitmore from Washington, Cleveland traded guard Max Strus to the Clippers, guard Dennis Schröder to the Hornets, guard Tre Mann to the Wizards, an unprotected 2031 first-round pick to the Nuggets, a 2027 second-round pick to the Wizards, and cash considerations to both Charlotte and Washington.
The Cavaliers also drafted guard Meleek Thomas, added undrafted center Ernest Udeh Jr. on a two-way contract, and brought back backup big man Thomas Bryant.
The Cavaliers are expected to remain a contender in the East next season following their Eastern Conference Finals appearance this year.
Cavaliers Urged To Add Cleveland Legend, Former 2016 NBA Champion