With just hours to go before the NBA trade deadline for the 2022-23 season, it seems rather unlikely that a trade involving Cleveland Cavaliers big man Kevin Love will actually materialize.
A trade could still happen, but if it doesn’t, Love may still find himself no longer with the Wine and Gold.
Love was recently removed from the Cavs rotation, and he could soon be removed from the roster in general by way of a buyout. According to a Thursday report, the Cavs could buy Love out in the near future.
“Additionally, Kevin Love is unlikely to be traded despite being out of the rotation. Love may wind up on the buyout market,” Matt Moore of Action Network reported.
The 34-year-old being bought out would be a somewhat anticlimactic end to a really fantastic career with the Cavs. However, if he really is going to be left out of the lineup for good, a buyout would probably be a win-win scenario for both sides.
For the Cavs, buying out Love would get him off the books and free up another roster spot. For Love, he would be free to join any team across the league. Though he is no longer the All-Star player he once was, he could be a valuable rotational piece for a team that has playoff aspirations.
After all, Love does have ample playoff experience and championship pedigree thanks to his big role on the 2016 Cavs championship squad.
On the season, Love is putting up 8.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. They are the lowest per-game averages of his entire NBA career.
If Love’s time with the Cavs is set to soon come to an end, he will surely go down as one of the best players in the history of the franchise.
He joined the team via trade in 2014 and has become a beloved member of the Cavs community. That is true despite some pretty difficult seasons in the post-LeBron James era.
In nine seasons with the Cavs, Love has averaged 15.7 points, 9.2 boards and 2.2 assists per game. He’s a two-time All-Star and one-time champion with the team.
