Kevin Love: It Was Easy Decision to Sign With Heat

Once Heat power forward Kevin Love agreed to a buyout with the Cavaliers, he pretty much knew where he was going next.

He spoke with the 76ers, and a few others were interested. But Miami was the place.

“I love the way that they operate here,” Love said, via Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “You can tell that it’s a top-tier, high-class, high-character organization and that all starts at the top. So for me, at the end of the day, it was a pretty easy decision.”

Love, 34, has been working out in Miami since Monday. He will presumably make his debut when the team begins its post-All-Star break run on Friday.

If he does play, that will mark his first game in a while. The 2016 NBA champion ended his Cavs career by being benched for the final 12 games. That 12th one seemingly put him over the edge and led to his request to move on from Cleveland.

He is averaging a career-low 8.5 points and 6.8 rebounds in 41 games, shooting 39 percent from the field — his worst mark since 2012-13. But he suffered a thumb injury along the way, and that seemed to throw him off a bit.

He is also on an expiring contract, the Heat signing him for just the rest of the season. They need the perimeter shooting and rebounding, historically Love’s strengths.

It seems he believes he has found the perfect match.

“I always looked at Miami as a place that’d be a great landing spot for me,” Love said.

• The Heat also signed center Cody Zeller, who aims to add an inside presence of his own. “Hopefully teams know it’s going to be a long night playing against us,” he said, via Reynolds.
• I joined Ethan Skolnik for a Five on the Floor podcast to discuss Love’s addition to the Heat. You can listen right here or in the box below.