Kevin Love opted out of his contract with the Cavaliers on Wednesday, making himself one of the top free agents in the NBA this summer. But LeBron James, who nearly led the Cavs to a title without Love or Kyrie Irving, reportedly won’t try to convince Kevin Love to come back to Cleveland for another playoff run, according to the Plain Dealer.
LeBron James won't be re-recruiting Kevin Love, I'm told. He believes Love understands he can be a part of something special. It's his call.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 24, 2015James helped convinced Love to join him and Irving in Cleveland last offseason and form a new Big Three with the intention of extending his deal with the Cavs after the season. But now that Love has gotten a taste of what the Cavaliers can accomplish, James clearly feels that firsthand experience is enough to convince Love to re-up with the NBA finalists.
Love, who missed nearly the entire postseason after injuring his right shoulder against the Celtics in the first round, averaged 16.4 points and 9.7 rebounds per game with the Cavs this season. It took him awhile to find his place with the new team, and according to Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski, Love wasn’t “super-willing” to accept a role as the third option behind James and Irving.
The Cavaliers are the early favorites to win next year’s championship, so Cleveland appears to be Love’s best option if he wants to win. But if it’s more important to him to be a team’s top option on the offensive end, expect Love to take his talents elsewhere.