TITLE: Speculation Grows Over Kevin Love Return to Cavaliers, but Columnists See Little Fit
SLUG: kevin-love-cavaliers-reunion-rumors
CONTENT:
Rumors of a possible reunion between Kevin Love and the Cleveland Cavaliers resurfaced this week after reporting indicated the Utah Jazz are expected to buy out the veteran forward “eventually.” The buyout chatter led Cavs on SI to suggest the Cavaliers could fill one of their two open roster spots with the 37-year-old, who spent eight seasons in Cleveland.
A Hoops Wire column, however, argues that such a move is unlikely. The writer notes that Love’s production has waned in recent years and that he departed Cleveland in 2023 following what was described as a contentious split with the front office. Those factors, the piece contends, should quell any serious talk of bringing him back.
The Cavaliers enter training camp on September 30 with 13 players under contract. While the 14th roster slot is often allocated to a veteran on a minimum deal, the column maintains that signing Love would be an inefficient use of resources. Cleveland already carries the league’s highest payroll and remains deep in luxury-tax territory.
Love’s most recent surge came in 2022, when he finished as a finalist for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award. Since then, injuries and age have limited his impact on the floor. The Cavaliers, the column stresses, need dependable depth rather than a nostalgic headline.
Love is best remembered in Cleveland for helping secure the franchise’s first championship in 2016, including a memorable post-game embrace with LeBron James. Despite that history, the current assessment from Hoops Wire is that a return would do little to improve the Cavs’ chances this season.
Source: Hoops Wire
