With the NBA offseason officially opening for business, the Cavaliers can finally explore some moves. Just don’t expect Kevin Love‘s name to be thrown around very often, if at all.
At least, that’s the word from former Memphis Grizzlies VP of basketball operations John Hollinger, now of The Athletic.
“I don’t think there’s any market for him at all,” Hollinger said on Chad Ford’s NBA Big Board podcast. “I had people openly scoff at me last year when I was bringing up Kevin Love trades.”
Think about that. If the Cavs GM Koby Altman floats a Love trade, he stands a chance to experience some ridicule.
Now, that’s just exaggeration to make a point, but you get the idea — if the Cavs have any desire to move Love, it apparently won’t be easy.
But anyone who follows the NBA knows as much. Love is 32-years old and has three years remaining on four-year contract for $120 million. He’ll earn about $32.3 million in the upcoming season.
That’s a massive deal for a guy who rarely manages to stay healthy for an entire season. (In his defense, he did play 56 of a possible 65 games in 2019-20.)
Love is coming off a year in which he averaged 17.6 points and 9.8 rebounds — and while he was the main voice behind all those reports of the Cavs not liking ex-coach John Beilein, he was a good soldier under J.B. Bickerstaff.
In that sense, the news is good. Love is a veteran who can lead by example and likely still has some productive seasons left. On the other hand, the Cavs and Love appear to be stuck with one another, whether they like it or not.
Over the weekend, I wrote that the Cavs should start exploring Love trades. My column followed a report that Love is available.
Everyone knew moving Love would be tough, and long before Hollinger even said anything. But it may be tougher than tough. It may be to the point where the Cavs need not even try.
