Kevin Love‘s latest display of anger raises the question of why the Cavaliers are willing to be so patient with him when they won’t do the same for other players, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Frustrated with not getting a foul call in Monday’s game, Love swatted the ball away when a referee threw it to him for an inbounds pass. It bounced to a Raptors player and led to an open three-pointer in a lopsided loss. Love apologized for the incident, and the team handled it internally.
It’s the latest in a series of outbursts involving Love, whose behavior keeps getting overlooked by the organization, Vardon contends. It happened during the same week as a 50-point game by Kevin Porter Jr., who was traded to Houston after throwing food at the wall and screaming at general manager Koby Altman when his locker was given away. The Cavaliers stopped playing J.R. Smith and Andre Drummond under similar circumstances and eventually waived both players.
Cleveland has fewer options when it comes to Love, Vardon adds. He still has two years and $60MM left on the contract extension he signed as a show of loyalty after LeBron James left. It’s too expensive for other teams to consider a trade or for a buyout to be realistic. The front office promised Love that it would try to remain competitive when he signed the deal, Vardon notes, but the team quickly switched to rebuilding.
Love is 32, coming off a string of injuries and is posting the worst statistical season of his career, so he and the team may be stuck in an unpleasant situation for a while longer.
There’s more from Cleveland:
- Vardon expects the Cavs to offer Collin Sexton a rookie scale extension this summer, despite the fact that it might not be in their best interest. Vardon doesn’t see a strong market for Sexton if he becomes a restricted free agent in 2022, even though he has developed into a reliable scorer. Sexton still tends to dominate the ball a lot, and the Cavs might be better off waiting another year to see if he and Darius Garland can be a successful backcourt, but Vardon believes they will give Sexton the extension to show Love and the other veteran players that the team has a plan that’s being followed.
- Matthew Dellavedova is likely out for the rest of the season, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The veteran guard suffered a neck strain April 25 and hasn’t been with the team since. Dellavedova’s absence is part of why the Cavs hope to be granted a hardship exception to sign Anderson Varejão. The front office wants the 38-year-old big man to finish his NBA career in Cleveland, where he was a popular figure during his 12 years with the team.
- The Cavaliers are focused on developing their young players as they wind down a disappointing, injury-filled season, Fedor adds in a separate story.
What a mess. Sounds like these players aren’t the problem, just a toxic environment.
Yeah, pretty disgraceful.
Players are not bailing out. They had a guy swat at the ball in a mad moment, took a few seconds in all.
They do need a new GM and the media is probably trying to force Gilbert’s hand in handling that… if the losing does not do that already.
Love can be traded in a package… Sexton would be good for scoring punch off the bench on a good team, and/or salary would be coming in. But the owner is not worried about his wealth, and the GM is committed to the 5-year plan his Love offer started.
Are you kidding? Love had already bailed years ago.
Fun fact: Love has now gone over 139 minutes STRAIGHT without a single offensive rebound. That’s damn near impossible to accomplish, a power forward would basically need to have been in a coma, but he’s done it.
Thanks for saying that, so I can say: It does not matter! The trade would be say Garland for Kemba, with Love included for salary matching. All salaries end at the same time, 2 yrs.
Except the Cavs say no, because Garland is ALREADY better than Kemba, given that stats are similar and Garland has years left of prime.
Sexton’s salary could end in 2 full yrs; it depends on ectension decisions. Sexton+Love for Kemba: could happen if Celtics want a change. Which, they do want a more aggressive direction.
Love’s contribution is a bonus and not impossible. Salaries match.
Get it?
That Love contract is going to be much easier to move next February, assuming he’s healthy and productive. But it’s still not going to be easy to unload.
Why Cleveland offered him that deal is perplexing. Why he chose to sign it, a little less so. The money was good, but iirc there were other teams with similar offers.
There was nobody going to pay him even REMOTELY close to what the Cavaliers gave him.
True because the Cavs offered an extension a year before other offers could be made. But his valuation at the time would be similar in amount, but not likely for as long.
Using hindsight to improve “would have” predictions, is cheating. Love’s health, never high, got worse promptly. Thing is, his salary pinned him.
Love just needs to play. And stop the childish antics. Cavs were never going to be good after Bron left. So what did he expect. He plays like he should, he can be moved. If Chris was moved Love can be moved. Just put up that 20 n 10. Never believed in the Sexton Garland backcourt. Can’t understand how a professional basketball team can’t see that. Size does matter. Cavs have not really made wise decisions IMO since Bron left. You get Drummond for what ?? Should of played him and got something for him. If you didn’t want him. Still say Love for Wiggins can work.
Why would the Warriors want Kevin Love? That ship has sailed.
The writing was already on the wall way back when they signed Love to the extension in the first place, no sympathy for the Cavs (Gilbert is by far the most disgraceful owner in the NBA) or for Love who took the money that no other team would have been silly enough to pay him…
There is not a worse organization in the NBA. Just an incompetent disgrace.
Did Arthur Hill seriously frame Love signing that contract as a “show of loyalty?” Yes, he was being loyal. To himself.