Miami Heat forward Kevin Love revealed that he’s open to coming back to the Cleveland Cavaliers and retiring with the franchise.
“I’m never ruling that out,” Love told Cleveland.com. “I have so many great relationships there and people that I love. I’m not done with Cleveland. I am definitely open to coming back and retiring there.”
Love was with the Cavs from the 2014-15 season through part of the 2022-23 season. He ended up finalizing a buyout with the team during the 2022-23 season after he had fallen out of the rotation.
That allowed Love to sign with a contender where he could have a role in the rotation, and he ended up choosing Miami. Love was a big part of Miami’s success in the 2022-23 season, as the team reached the NBA Finals as the No. 8 seed in the East.
In the playoffs last season, Love appeared in 20 games for the Heat – making 18 starts – and averaged 6.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.
Cavs fans have to be excited by the fact that Love would consider retiring with the franchise, as he was an integral part of the team’s success in LeBron James’ second stint with the franchise.
Love helped the Cavs win the NBA Finals in the 2015-16 season, and he made two All-Star teams during his stint in Cleveland.
While his time with the franchise came to a rather abrupt end last season, it doesn’t appear that there is any bad blood between the five-time All-Star and the Cleveland organization.
The Cavs acquired Love in a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves prior to the 2014-15 season, giving him a chance to play alongside James and Kyrie Irving. It helped the team form a lethal trio that went to four straight NBA Finals.
This season, Love is playing a role on the smaller side for Miami, as he has started just four of the 16 games he’s played in.
Still, the veteran has made a solid impact when he’s been on the floor. Love is averaging 8.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 40.4 percent from the field and 34.7 percent from 3.
While he may no longer be the star player that he was when he first came to the Cavs, Love could be a strong locker room presence and bench piece if he does decide to come back to Cleveland at some point in his NBA career.
