Kevin Love could potentially return to the Cleveland Cavaliers more than three years after leaving the franchise.
Cleveland is searching for another big man to provide depth behind Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, and ESPN's Brian Windhorst identified Love as a name worth monitoring during an appearance on The Hoop Collective podcast.
"The Cavs are looking for a big man, and Kevin Love is out there," Windhorst said. "That's a guy to keep an eye on for Cleveland."
There is no indication yet that the Cavaliers and Love are in advanced negotiations, but the connection is notable considering the veteran's history with the franchise.
Love spent nine seasons in Cleveland
Love began his NBA career after being selected with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. He was technically drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies before immediately being traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The UCLA product spent his first six NBA seasons in Minnesota, developing into one of the league's best power forwards.
He became a three-time All-Star with the Timberwolves and averaged a career-best 26.1 points and 12.5 rebounds during the 2013-14 season.
His career changed in the summer of 2014, when Minnesota traded him to Cleveland shortly after LeBron James returned to the Cavaliers.
Love joined James and Kyrie Irving to form Cleveland's new Big Three and became an important part of one of the most successful stretches in franchise history.
The Cavaliers reached four consecutive NBA Finals from 2015 through 2018, with Love helping Cleveland complete its historic comeback from a 3-1 deficit against the Golden State Warriors to win the 2016 championship.
Love remained with Cleveland following James' departure in 2018 and ultimately spent parts of nine seasons with the Cavaliers before the two sides agreed to a buyout in February 2023.
He then joined the Miami Heat and immediately helped them reach the 2023 NBA Finals. Love spent multiple seasons in Miami before eventually continuing his career with the Utah Jazz.
Love remained productive from three with Utah
Despite being one of the NBA's oldest players, Love continued to provide useful frontcourt minutes last season.
He appeared in 37 games for Utah during the 2025-26 campaign, averaging 6.7 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 37.3% from three-point range.
Love turns 38 in September, so any potential reunion would be centered around a limited veteran role rather than significant minutes.
His floor-spacing ability, rebounding, and experience could nevertheless give Cleveland another option behind Mobley and Allen, particularly over the course of a long regular season.