Kevin Love could be the perfect fit for the Miami Heat.
As quickly as Nike hoisted their LeBron James ‘Cleveland’ Banner in 2014, it was removed. No longer adorning the façade of a Sherwin Williams facility, the banner’s removal carried with it a weight greater than it’s 2,600-pound frame.
Its fall signaled the end of a monarchy – House James, Cleveland, first of his name. The Cavaliers lost the most identifiable piece of their identity and logic would suggest that more of Cleveland’s roster would follow.
However, Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman has expressed his intent for the 2018-19 season: Cleveland isn’t tanking, at least not on purpose. Their clientele is a group that was rarely greater than the sum of its parts, adjusted only by the coefficient that was James.
Koby Altman doesn't want Cavaliers to 'go backwards' after losing LeBron James by tanking, trading Kevin Love @clevelanddotcom https://t.co/5qwOTcQbot
— Joe Vardon (@joevardon) July 7, 2018
Trade talks have been limited in Cleveland. The Land is neither a free agent destination nor interested in making an all-for-nothing swap. Their most marketable player, however, Kevin Love, has poked his head into the rumor mill, potentially finding a team that could best use his services.
For the Miami Heat, who’ve stonewalled this summer’s Twitter-sphere with minimal roster moves, Love could be the big break. On the books for $50 million over the next two years, buying into Love’s future could be a smart move.
Financially, it’d take a bundle worth both Love’s weight in dollars and buckets.
A Goran Dragic–Josh Richardson tandem works in theory, while providing the Cavaliers with the assurance that the box score wouldn’t look drastically different without Love.
Conversationally, Miami would need to smooth talk their way past Altman, who is unwilling to move Love for anything less than his requisite value.
In exchange for Love’s near guaranteed production, the loss of Richardson and Dragic gives Miami the flexiblility to dive into player development while maintaining competitiveness. The Heat have a crop of young talent sprouting through the Las Vegas Summer League right now. None can totally replace Dragic or Richardson, but the discount would provide future salary cap wiggle room in exchange.
What then, would Love look like on the Heat? Keeping the current core together is by and far the safest and most responsible choice, but if team president Pat Riley wanted to bite, what is expected of Love in South Beach?