After one season as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, it wasn’t a total surprise that power forward Kevin Love has decided to opt-out of his deal and become a free agent. This past season Love averaged 16.4 points and 9.7. rebounds per game which were his lowest totals since his second year in the NBA when he was a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves. For his seven-year NBA career, Love has averaged 18.7 points and 11.8 rebounds per game as he is one of the better power forwards in the league. And although Love has said publicly that he would be interested in returning to the Cavaliers, I highly doubt that this will be the case next season.
Last summer when small forward LeBron James decided to leave the Miami Heat and re-join the Cavs, he wanted to form another “Big Three” like he did in South Beach which led to a pair of NBA Championships there. And with point guard Kyrie Irving already on the Cavaliers roster, Cleveland only needed to find a big man to makes James’ wish come true. Love was getting tired of losing with the Timberwolves and he was looking for a change of pace. Love was traded to the Cavaliers last summer in a three-team trade that also involved the Philadelphia 76ers. And in return the Timberwolves received a king’s ransom with Cleveland sending them shooting guard Andrew Wiggins and power forward Anthony Bennett. Bennett was the first overall pick of the 2013 NBA Draft while Wiggins was the first choice in 2014 and they joined a rebuilding Timberwolves team while Love had his sights set on his first trip to the postseason in his NBA career. But from Love’s first day in a Cavaliers uniform, he never fit there.
Love’s game was never able to correspond to that of James who took an immediate liking to Irving and power forward Tristan Thompson. And when Love suffered a torn labrum in the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the Boston Celtics, the Cavaliers actually played better with Thompson now being inserted into the starting lineup as you have to wonder if Cleveland would have able to make the NBA Finals with Love in the same fashion that they did without him?
With the Timberwolves, Love was able to put up 26 points and 13 rebounds routinely because his team was always losing and they were an after thought. And even though the Cavs do not play in a big media market, Love was not able to handle the pressure cooker that he was in on a nightly basis playing alongside James.
So now it is time to play the guessing game as far as where Love will be playing next season. Love is a West Coast guy and after bypassing on center Jahlil Okafor last night during the 2015 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers have a glaring need in their frontcourt. Love is very familiar with the bright lights of Hollywood as he was born in Santa Monica, California and he played his college ball at UCLA. With power forward LaMarcus Aldridge letting the Portland Trailblazers know that doesn’t intend to return there next season, the Blazers have a need at the power forward position as well. Love grew up in Lake Oswego, Oregon and he already spurned the folks in that state when he decided to attend UCLA as opposed to the University of Oregon. If center Roy Hibbert decides to decline his player option for next season, the Indiana Pacers could be in play for Love’s services, but would playing there with small forward Paul George restrict his game like it did in Cleveland with James? The Boston Celtics are desperately seeking a star player to build their team around, but would Love be up for the pressure that comes when he puts that green uniform on? The Toronto Raptors enter this summer with cap space and their guard oriented team needs a big man to play off of. And once you look at the Big Apple, both the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets need to make a splash. The Knicks missed big time with the fourth overall pick last night in the draft by taking power forward Kristaps Porzingis and you have to wonder if Knicks team president Phil Jackson will get desperate and sign Love? But would Love’s game be able to function alongside that of Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony who commands the basketball on most offensive possessions? The Nets could be up a creek after power forward Thaddeus Young opted out of his deal and center Brook Lopez is expected to follow suit. The Nets also traded center Mason Plumlee to the Trailblazers and if Nets general manager Billy King doesn’t make a big move soon, he could be a man without a country; or in this case a team.
Wherever Love will play basketball next season he will have to shed the reputation of him merely being a stats guy as he has been known to put up gaudy stats as far as points and rebounds, but it doesn’t mean a thing being that the teams that he generally plays for don’t win and they’re typically blown out. Staying in the Eastern Conference for Love would be a reach because he would have to face James and the Cavs four times a season. If Love decides on the Lakers, he would be coming home, but there would be added pressure to put on the purple and gold and more importantly to produce championships there. But wherever Love calls home for next season, he’ll more than likely be overpaid and he’ll be on a team where he can get lost in the shuffle.
Source: Basketball-reference.com
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