Dribbles: Latest on Kevin Love, the Cavs and Buyout Talks

Random dribbles on the looming contract buyout between Kevin Love and the Cavaliers …

1. Love’s time with the Cavs is about to reach an end. That much we know. He may be with another team by the time the Cavs play again, Feb. 23 vs. the Nuggets, after the All-Star Break.

2. The buyout idea has been in the works for several days, as there had been some tension between Love and the Cavs. Love has been on the bench after coach J.B. Bickerstaff settled on a regular rotation. It did not involve Love.

3. Love is in the final year of a four-year, $120 million contract extension he signed in 2018. He wants to play and prove he has something left for his next contract. Again, that’s not been happening in Cleveland. He’s received no assurances his playing time could increase.

4. Recently, Love has seemed a bit disconnected from the organization and even isolating himself, The Athletic’s Jason Lloyd suggested on 92.3 The Fan. Love felt like he had turned a corner with a thumb injury, but still was not getting minutes. He is averaging career-lows of 8.5 points and 6.8 rebounds.

5. While Love wasn’t playing, the Cavs had won seven in a row before Wednesday’s road loss to the 76ers. So it was hard for Bickerstaff to make a case that Love should be part of the rotation. Cleveland has been rolling without him.

6. Love’s teammates seemed to be caught off guard by the buyout conversations. “Not having him around will be tough,” a Cavs player told Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

7. While Love’s contract is expiring, he was open to re-signing and finishing his career with the Cavs, and even seemed excited about the possibility. But not playing despite being fully healthy changed his mind on that.

8. Love has made it clear he wants to join another playoff team once the buyout is complete, sources said. He has already been linked to the Heat, who have an open roster spot and need a floor-spacing shooter in the worst way.

9. Bickerstaff and president of basketball operations Koby Altman have indicated recently that they didn’t anticipate a buyout with Love — though before the game in Philadelphia, Bickerstaff suggested Love was not any closer to receiving playing time.

10. Here is what Bickerstaff said, via Fedor: “We’ve always talked about Kevin as more than just his on-court responsibilities. He’s there for his teammates. He’s a leader. He’s a teacher. He’s a mentor. He continues to do that for us.”

11. When speaking with the media, Love has said all the right things. He has been a professional around the team, sources said. There was never a hint of drama. But again, he wants to play. And he hasn’t talked to reporters since falling out of the rotation, so it’s hard to gauge where he actually stood. Until now.

12. Along with the Heat, keep an eye on the Warriors and Celtics when it comes to Love’s next destination. He is a childhood friend of Warriors star guard Klay Thompson. It would not be a surprise if Thompson tried to recruit him.

13. The Lakers and Trail Blazers have been mentioned as other possibilities, though it has not been determined if either intends to make a push to sign him.

14. Without question, the Cavs will fill Love’s vacant roster spot. It isn’t likely to be someone splashy. If Love wasn’t playing, whoever the Cavs sign or promote from the G League isn’t likely to play much, either.