Kyrie Irving is long gone. LeBron James is recently gone. But the Cleveland Cavaliers are keeping Kevin Love for years to come
The Cavs and Love signed a new multi-year contract extension today. Per multiple reports, the deal is for four years and $120 million.
“We are very excited to announce Kevin’s long-term commitment to the Cavaliers and Cleveland. This quickly became a partnership the second we began these discussions. Collaboration and winning matter greatly to Kevin and that was reflected in this extension,” said Cavs General Manager Koby Altman. “Kevin’s talent and character are both at a very high level and he has earned his role at the center of what we want to do moving forward. As a five-time All-Star and NBA Champion, Kevin has a special understanding of exactly what success and winning require.”
“When I first came to Cleveland, I came with a long-term mindset,” said Love. “I came here to win. We developed a culture here that reflects that. I’m super excited and I couldn’t be happier. It’s a big commitment for me and it’s a big commitment from the Cavaliers, so I want to thank Dan Gilbert, Koby Altman and the entire organization. I enjoy playing here, I’m excited about the team that we have and look forward to our future together. Cleveland fans have been special from day one and I’m also looking forward to continuing to be a part of this great community.”
According to USA Today, “Extending Love signals Cleveland’s decision to avoid a rebuild in the post-LeBron era. Instead of trading Love for younger players and draft picks, the Cavs made it clear – at least in the short term – they want to see if they can remain competitive in the East without James, who signed a four-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this month.”
And according to CBS Sports, “From Love’s perspective, this is easy to understand. It’s a hell of a lot of money, and it gives him the opportunity to be the No. 1 option for the first time since the 2013-14 season. His last four seasons with LeBron James have had wild ups and downs, and while he learned how to function as a complementary player — and quietly had the most efficient season of his career last year — he never fully got to be himself. Now, whether or not he finishes this contract in Cleveland, he will at least get to prove that he can still carry an offense … while being compensated handsomely.”
Love (6-10, 251) was an NBA All-Star this past season, appearing in 59 games (all starts) for Cleveland and averaging 17.6 points and a team-high 9.3 rebounds in 28.0 minutes per game. He also shot .415 from beyond the arc and a career-high .880 from the foul line. Love was one of just four NBA players to make at least 100 three-pointers while averaging at least 9.0 rebounds in 2017-18 (Karl-Anthony Towns, Nikola Jokic, DeMarcus Cousins). In addition, he recorded 31 double-doubles and scored 20 points or more on 26 occasions, including a season-high 38 points in just 25 minutes versus Miami on Nov. 28. He posted 17 outings of at least 20 points and 10 rebounds.
The 6-10 forward was originally acquired by the Cavs in a three-team trade with Minnesota and Philadelphia on August 23, 2014. Over the past four seasons, Love has appeared in 271 games (all starts) with Cleveland, while averaging a double-double with 17.1 points and 10.0 rebounds in 31.3 minutes per contest. Since the 2014-15 season, he leads the team in total rebounds (2,705), double-doubles (145) and three-pointers (584). In Cavaliers history, Love already ranks fourth in three-pointers made, 10th in defensive rebounds (2,165) and 12th in total rebounds. He has also helped the Cavs reach the postseason in all four years, which includes winning an NBA Championship in 2016. Over his 63 career playoff games (62 starts) with Cleveland, Love has averaged 15.3 points and 9.7 rebounds in 31.1 minutes per game, while recording 27 double-doubles and shooting .404 from beyond the arc and .854 from the charity stripe.
Love, who is a 10-year NBA veteran, is one of only eight players in NBA history to accumulate 11,000 points, 7,000 rebounds and 1,000 three-pointers (Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Kobe Bryant, Paul Pierce, LeBron James, Rasheed Wallace, Antawn Jamison), as well as the only player to ever hold a career average at least 10.0 rebounds and knock down 1,000 three-pointers or more. In 635 regular season games (553 starts) with Minnesota and Cleveland, Love has averaged 18.3 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 32.2 minutes per game. Since entering the league in 2008-09, he has registered the second-most double-doubles with 401 (Dwight Howard-498) and has gone on to average at least 9.0 rebounds in all 10 of his NBA seasons. The UCLA product has also earned five NBA All-Star selections (2011, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2018), two All-NBA Second Team honors (2012, 2014), an Olympic gold medal (2012) and was winner of the league’s Most Improved Player award (2011) and Three-Point Contest at All-Star Weekend in Orlando (2012).
