Kevin Love appears like he’ll be remaining with the Cavaliers.
Cleveland is unlikely to trade the 30-year-old forward, according to a report from The Cleveland Plain Dealer. The team would have to be “overwhelmed” by an offer to consider moving him, the report says.
The five-time All-Star struggled with injuries throughout 2018-19 and played in just 22 games. He averaged 17 points and 10.9 rebounds while shooting 36.1% from 3-point range in 27.2 minutes per appearance.
The Cavaliers were one of the worst teams in the NBA this season and finished with a 19-63 record.
“We have a good group of guys that want to be better and guys that haven’t given in to losing,” Love said in February, via the News-Herald. “That can be easy when so many games come at you so fast, but we’ve had a mentality that any given night we can win a basketball game. We’re going to continue to be like that.”
The Cavaliers parted ways with interim coach Larry Drew in April and hired John Beilein away from Michigan to replace him. The team fired Tyronn Lue after an 0-6 start to 2018-19.
“Every single time that we’ve decided to do this, some people would say with every job, and probably with this one, ‘What are you crazy? Why are you doing that?’ And I say exactly that, opportunity and challenges go hand in hand,” Beilein told reporters at his introductory press conference. “So, when we can be in these situations, it’s so gratifying (to) turn a program (around).
“Rebuild is not a word we’re going to use here, I saw it more as a renaissance. Look at all those banners up there. It’s been done before. Why can’t it be done again?”
Love signed a four-year, $120 million extension with Cleveland in July 2018. The Cavaliers hold the fifth pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.