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According to The Athletic, Kevin Love is negotiating a contract buyout with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Miami Heat are poised to pounce as the leading prospect to acquire the final member of the Cavs’ former Big 3.
The buyout will allow the veteran forward to become a free agency before the March 1 deadline, allowing him to sign with a team of his choosing and be eligible to play in the playoffs.
The Heat, who have an open roster place, have been looking for a big man, and Love would suit the criteria, according to The Athletic.
Love, 34, has been with Cleveland for the past nine years after being picked by the Timberwolves at No. 5 overall in 2008 and spending six seasons with them. During his time in Minnesota, Kevin Love averaged 19.2 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while earning three All-Star selections and the 2010-11 Most Improved Player title.
Love was acquired by Cleveland in a three-team trade in the summer of 2014, shortly after LeBron James returned to the Cavs from the Heat in an attempt to win his hometown team its first championship. And he did so as a member of the Big 3 alongside Kyrie Irving, bringing home the 2016 NBA championship despite trailing the Warriors 3-1 in the Finals.
Love has averaged 15.7 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game for the Cavaliers while earning back-to-back All-Star selections in 2017 and 2018.
Love is now getting $28.9 million in the final year of a four-year, $120 million agreement he signed after James left for the Lakers in 2018.
As a result of an early-season thumb injury, Love’s role has been diminished on the Cavs’ new roster, and he now averages only 8.5 points in 20 minutes per game. Recently, he was removed from the Cavaliers’ rotation, paving the way for a contract buyout and the chance to play for a different team.
»Kevin Love is nearing a buyout from the Cavs, with the Heat looming«