Cavs: Kevin Love not taking a buyout only hurts both parties

Kevin Love is not interested in a buyout with the Cavs.

On Friday, Terry Pluto reported that the Cavs and Kevin Love had begun to make waves towards a buyout for the 32-year-old power forward. The buyout would’ve brought Cleveland’s and Love’s time together to a merciful and necessary end.

On Saturday, Adrian Wojnarowski and Sam Amico rebuffed those reports, with Wojnarowski citing a direct quote from Love’s very own agent.

Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports was quoted by ESPN as saying;

"There have been no talks with Cleveland on a buyout, nor is there any interest from Kevin in doing a buyout."

As always, it’s impossible to know where the truth lies. Agents are known to say whatever they need to for the sake of their clients, and Amico, Wojnarowski, and Pluto all have good track records so conflicting information is always the case of three people with three different sources. It’s very possible Pluto had a Cavs’ employee how believed a buyout was coming.

Now, according to Amico, a rival GM claims it’s Love who wanted to get traded to Portland as part of the Lauri Markkanen trade.

Kevin Love continues to be the number one reason to fire Koby Altman.

Either you believe that Koby Altman really thought he could build a playoff team around Love, and gave up after just six games into his extension, or you believe that Altman signed Love hoping to trade him sooner rather than later. Personally, the latter makes the most sense.

No matter what happens next, Altman should be fired for the debacle that has been Love’s tenure in Cleveland. Ever since 2019, Love has done nothing but made the franchise look bad. The longer he’s on the roster, the less likely the Cavs will because of it.

The team is handcuffed by his salary, and he’s just not good enough to warrant minutes over the younger prospects.

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Yet Love doesn’t want a buyout, because to Love, money is the most important thing. Except when he’s throwing tantrums on the court. Then he’s a “competitor”.  Love wants his cake and to eat it too. He wants out, his behavior has shown us that he’s not happy in Cleveland, and he himself has said he’d love to play in Portland before his career is over.

There’s no subterfuge here. Love wants to eventually leave Cleveland. He has said hit himself.

When the opportunity to leave has arrived, however, Love is acting like Beni from the Mummy (1999). The walls (his career) are closing in around him and all Beni (Love) can do is grab at all the gold as he’s shut away forever, inches away from an outstretched hand belonging to Brandon Frazier (Damian Lillard).

Love could put the money aside, accept a still sizeable buyout and go play for Portland or Los Angles, regain a starter’s spot, and contribute to a championship run. Instead, Love is content riding out the last two years of his contract as his body breaks down more and more, resulting in him being nearly 35 years old by the time free agency hits for him.

For him, a trade is the only way to resolve it. This can’t happen, because he on his own is a negative asset. A negative asset that only he had a  hand in crafting. It’s bad enough he can’t stay on the court anymore, but now his attitude, the in-fighting, and his constant outbursts have tainted him.

He had a chance to show the world it was about being a competitor. It isn’t. He’s just miserable and won’t remedy the situation.

One has to wonder if Love will have any prospects whatsoever in two more years. He’s risking success for wealth. The saddest part is, Amico thinks Love is tradeable; if the Cavs are willing to attach Collin Sexton or Isaac Okoro to the deal.

Since that doesn’t seem likely, Love will rot on the bench, becoming a bigger malcontent than he already has been for the squad.

Love was once beloved in Cleveland, now it’s likely he’s the cities least favorite player across all three major sports.

And the only person he has to blame is himself. The Cavs want to trade him, but no one wants him. That is what his legacy is turning into; the potential Hall of Famer who priced himself out of the league.