Cavs: Team should consider releasing Kevin Love with minutes cut

The Cavs seem to be the only team that doesn’t want Kevin Love.

The Cavs are cutting the minutes of Kevin Love. Frankly, this isn’t surprising but it’s counter-productive. It’s one thing to cut the minutes of Love if you went and grabbed Lauri Markkanen but your only two forwards who can play power forward are Larry Nance Jr. and Dean Wade. There might be some random idea of playing Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley on the court at the same time and while that may sound like a lot of fun, Mobely isn’t an offensive threat and Allen is useless outside the paint in scoring. Love may not be what he was in 2013, but he’s still a starter.

Granted, just barely.

So it makes no real sense why sources in the team told Jason Lloyd of The Athletic that “the kids need to play” and that the team is cutting Love’s minutes. The Cavs met with Love and informed him of the plan going forward, but all it does is create a quagmire for the team and the fanbase.

If the team values Love so much they still think they can trade him, then why cut his minutes and depreciate his value? That’s only going to hurt his appeal and limit whatever deals you can pull off. Yet, if the team feels that it’s better to limit Love’s minutes, then why keep him around at all? Teams now know you’re pushing him out the door and you’ve lost any and all negotiation power. This is when releasing him would make the most sense. Something every other team is aware of too.

Los Angeles Laker fans are ready to gobble up Kevin Love

Say what you will about Laker Nation but they are a forgetful bunch. Fans of the purple and gold are basking in the comparisons to the 2003-2004 Lakers squad that featured Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Gary Payton, and Karl Malone. That’s because their current squad boasts LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, and Carmelo Anthony. The problem with that comparison is the fact that the 2003-2004 Lakers’ team was too old and lacked the shooting to compete; losing to the “much less talented” Detroit Pistons in that season’s NBA Finals.

Ironic, isn’t it.

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For many fans on social media, the cure-all seems to be Kevin Love. The veteran big-man played well alongside James during their time in Cleveland together and Love is a west-coast guy; having been born in Santa Monica and going to college UCLA.

Lake Show Life, a cousin of ours in the FanSided umbrella, had a column that breaks down the three reasons Love will end up in the purple and gold of Hollywood. The first point they throw at the readers is that the Cavs won’t be able to find a trade partner for Love, just like with Andre Drummond.

Yet, there’s a problem with that comparison, as Love is far and away better than Drummond. Drummond is one of the worst offensive big men to ever play in the NBA. Love is still a starter in the NBA, Drummond is not, but Love doesn’t fit the new scheme of the Cavaliers. The Trailblazers, Heat, and Lakers are all very interested in Love for a reason. Drummond signed on to be a backup. They’re not the same.

They are right in pointing out that Love is close with James and Westbrook, the latter was college teammates with Love at UCLA. While Love has more inherent value and could even warrant a late-first round pick for his game alone, the thing that holds back any and all trades is that horrendous contract.

Cavs GM Koby Altman may have finally sealed whatever fate Love had with the Cavs by letting it get out that Love’s minutes were getting cut. A release seems to be the only way forward because why trade for an asset the other team clearly doesn’t want? If the team can’t muster a winning record in 2021-2022, and the Cavs are forced to release Love, then we all know who will be gone from the club next.

Next. Cavs: 4 NBA free agents that make sense for Cleveland. dark

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