Cleveland Cavaliers executive Koby Altman has been with the franchise in some capacity since 2012, so he was able to get an up-close look at big man Kevin Love’s stint with the team. Love spent eight-plus seasons of his pro career in a Cavaliers uniform and even won a championship with the team in 2016, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing near the end of his tenure in Cleveland.
His role with the Cavaliers was greatly reduced in the latter stages of his time with the team. Not only that, but he reportedly butted heads with Altman on at least one occasion.
“If you remember, Love’s tenure in Cleveland didn’t end well,” NBA insider Sam Amico wrote. “He was upset about not playing under former coach J.B. Bickerstaff. I also heard he got into it at least once with president of basketball operations Koby Altman. More importantly, Love isn’t much of an NBA contributor these days. If I’m the Cavs, I’m not bringing him back for sentimental reasons alone — and frankly, that’s the only reason they would.”
The Cavaliers ended up buying out Love partway through the 2023-23 season. His decision with Cleveland’s decision-makers was described as “strained” afterward.
After clearing waivers, the former University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) standout decided to join the Miami Heat. His decision to join the Heat at the time aged very well.
Love was an integral part of one of the more unlikely NBA Finals runs in playoff history soon after he joined the Heat. Miami was just the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference in the 2023 NBA Playoffs, yet it made it all the way to the NBA Finals and eliminated the top two seeds in the East during its path to the championship series.
The Heat became just the second No. 8 seed in playoff history to reach the championship series, and Love averaged 6.9 points on 37.5 percent shooting from deep along with 5.6 rebounds per game in the 2023 NBA Playoffs. Love also started 18 of the 20 games he played in during that special playoff run.
But today, Love is no longer with the Heat organization. Earlier this week, Miami traded him along with forward Kyle Anderson to the Utah Jazz in a three-team trade and received guard Norman Powell in the deal.
Love is a buyout candidate now considering the Jazz aren’t ready to compete in the Western Conference anytime soon, and perhaps he will return to the Cavaliers this summer in the hope that he can help the team win another title. If nothing else, he could prove to be a valuable locker room presence. However, a move like that might require Love and the Cavs to put their past frustrations aside.