Kevin Love will play for the Heat. The power forward has reached an agreement with the Cavaliers to confirm a buyout that it was an open secret since his coach until now, JB Bickerstaff, removed him from the rotation in agreement with the player. The former star in Minnesota came to Ohio in 2014 to form a big three with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. He never went back to being the number-crunching player for Wolves, but he helped the team stay consistent and won the biggest prize in 2016, when the King kept his word and gave the promised ring to the city of Cleveland. A historic moment in one of the best Finals in history, in which they also beat one of the best teams ever seen, the Warriors 73-9.
With four All-Star selections, a Most Improved Player award, two appearances in the League’s Second Best Five and an All-Star Rebounder title, Love was in his day a differential player who has become a luxury veteran (he is 34 years old) who is a great support on a social level and provides rebounds and shots from three (averaging 37.2% in his career) from the bench. Quite an institution in the Cavaliers, where his jersey will be retired, Love is also a great spokesperson for the fight against anxiety and depression that he himselfas he confessed in 2020, he has suffered, even going so far as to plan his suicide.
A college star at UCLA, Love was one of the most desirable pieces among the waivers and several teams were on the prowl to get their services. It was rumored that he could join the Suns to strengthen a short squad, but in the end it was Pat Riley who knew how to play his cards well to sign him. The movement has been advanced by Adrian Wojnarowski (ESPN) and confirmed on Twitter by Love himself, who has been in charge of paying his respects to the city of Cleveland, where he is an icon.
It will be the third jersey that Love has seen in his NBA career, which began in 2008. Number 5 in the draft, he was selected by the Grizzlies and immediately transferred to the Wolves in a massive transfer that affected 8 players and whose objective was to take OJ Mayo to Memphis. He developed under the orders of Rick Adelman and shared a team with Ricky Rubio, with whom he coincided again in the Cavs. A career with some ups and downs, but a pleasant personality that has always generated positive things in the locker room and that now ends up with the Heat, who are in seventh place in the Eastern Conference (32-27) and seek to advance, reach the Knicks and avoid the play-in. Kevin Love goes for a new adventure.