Earlier this season, a blistering report detailed the complaints that unnamed Cleveland Cavaliers veterans had about head coach John Beilein.
Now, it has become clear that executives around the NBA believe that the primary voice behind those complaints was star big man Kevin Love.
The revelation came to light when Sam Amick of SI.com detailed Love’s falling trade value.
“Along with all that, many opposing execs seem convinced Love was the main voice behind last month’s report by The Athletic, which indicated some members of the Cavs were entirely unhappy with coach John Beilein,” Amick wrote.
Perhaps this should not come as much of a surprise given Love’s behavior throughout the 2019-20 season. Still, it is unfortunate to hear that this narrative has latched onto Love’s reputation around the league.
So far this season, Love has done little to make himself an attractive asset from a locker room presence standpoint.
He has posted cryptic messages on social media, created distractions prior to games and has thrown outright temper tantrums on the court.
Despite all that, he has played well, averaging 17.0 points and 10.4 rebounds per game this season.
Recently, Love vowed to improve his behavior. That promise came shortly after the Cavs asked Love to help them trade him.
Given his reputation around the league at the moment, it is starting to seem very possible that no team decides to trade for the five-time All-Star prior to the Feb. 6 deadline.
If that ends up being the case, Love may have no one else to blame but himself.
