Kevin Love is finally packing his bags and has chosen a new destination for his career, after he agreed a buyout away from Cleveland earlier this week. Once he clears waivers and the NBA accepts the deal, the 34-year-old will be able to play with the Heat for the remainder of the 2022/23 season.
As if it wasn’t enough, ESPN also reported that the Miami squad is about to land another big signing, as free agent center Cody Zeller is expected to start training with the rest of the Florida roster before we return to action after the All-Star break. Even though both players haven’t signed contracts yet, it all seems to be walking smoothly.
So it finally happened, after nine-long-years with the Cavaliers, the 6-foot-9 player will leave the club he helped capture the 2016 NBA championship.
After clearing waivers, Kevin Love plans to sign with the Miami Heat, his agent Jeff Schwartz of @Excelbasketball tells ESPN. pic.twitter.com/c1Ff4tLfKP
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 19, 2023
After 15 seasons as a professional basketballer with Minnesota and Cleveland, the veteran has averaged 17.2 points, dropping 43.9% of his field goal attempts, also handing out 10.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per contest. This campaign has been his weakest so far, averaging 8.5 points, 6.8 rebounds in only 20 minutes per game, over 41 matches.
Why was he looking to move out of Ohio? Well, he played almost all the games this championship as a reserve, and for no apparent reason he has not played a single minute in the squads’s last 12 matches before the All-Star weekend.
For Heat player Bam Adebayo, Love’s greatest strength will be experience. “It would give us another vet, another guy who’s been through the playoffs, another guy who knows what it takes to win and get to where we want to go,” the 25-year-old center said.
Let’s take a look at Love’s accolades. The power foward has won both the FIBA World Cup and an Olympic gold metal as part of the USA Basketball squad, as well as a five-time NBA All-Star and of course, NBA champion with Cleveland.
As for Zeller, it will be the third NBA team for the player who was the fourth pick of the 2013 draft, after averaging 8.5 points and 6.0 rebounds in 494 games with the Hornets and the Trail Blazers.
The Cavs have communicated their intention of retiring the No. 0 jersey
Right after the first rumours that said Kevin Love was looking to complete a buyout out of Cleveland this week, the Cavs management made sure the fans knew they would honour the veteran foward. The team’s intention is to retire the No.0 jersey, which was the players number during his nine-year spell at the club.
The Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman addressed the situation.”Kevin Love had an outstanding run with the Cavaliers, including memorable on-court moments, four NBA Finals appearances and an NBA Championship in 2016,” Altman said in a statement. “Kevin represented the organization and the city of Cleveland with the utmost charm and professionalism during his nine seasons in Northeast Ohio.”
Cavaliers announce they will retire Kevin Love’s No. 0 🙏 pic.twitter.com/F3DbAA7yFW
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 18, 2023
“He also embodied everything a franchise would want in a player, and the admiration and gratitude we have for him will ultimately land his jersey in the rafters of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse,” the statement continues. “We thank Kevin for his impact and wish him nothing but the best, knowing that he has solidified his place in the hearts of Cavaliers fans and this organization forever.”
Love played an integral role when the team made four-straight NBA Finals appearances from 2015 to 2018 and conquered the first championship in franchise history in 2016.
