Kevin Love – Miami Heat
When Kevin Love was bought out by the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Heat did what they could to lure him to South Beach. They were successful, and Love quickly become a key contributor for them in the months that followed. After he started in 35 of his 41 games with Miami, Love will likely be a priority for the Heat this offseason as he hits free agency, which is justifiable.
While Love didn’t put up the gaudiest stats in a Heat jersey, his presence was extremely valuable as this team made a run to the NBA Finals. He provided excellent outside shooting, which made him a great complementary piece to Bam Adebayo in the frontcourt. His ability to serve as quite the irritant due to his charge-taking ability often gave Miami some extra energy. Even at age 34, he’s a winning player who can make big-time plays at any given moment.
It would be quite surprising if Love started next season wearing another jersey. The forward fits everything Miami wants to do on the floor, and after searching for a starting power forward for a good chunk of last season, letting Love go would force them back to square one. Keeping him is a move that would likely not break the bank either, making it even more reasonable.