Since the departure of LeBron James in the summer of 2018, rumors have been continuously swirling around All-Star power forward Kevin Love and his future with the Cleveland Cavaliers . Love hasn’t shown any sign that he’s no longer happy with the Cavaliers, but at this point in his NBA career, most people believe that he would be better off being traded to a legitimate title contender than wasting his prime staying on a rebuilding team.
In a recent interview with Arash Markazi of the Los Angeles Times , Love admitted that he has heard the trade rumors linking him to several teams where he could be the “missing piece” to contend for the NBA championship.
“I know there’s talk about me possibly being the missing piece somewhere,” Love said, as quoted by Bleacher Report . “There’s been constant chatter since I signed that I could be traded. It’s one of those things where I’m going to keep doing right by the team, by Cleveland and by the organization. If my number is called, so be it, but I’m going to stay true to my commitment and let the chips fall where they may.”
However, as of now, Love doesn’t seem to care what other people think is best for him. He said that he is prepared for whatever is going to happen with his career, but as long as he is in Cleveland, he will focus on helping the Cavaliers return to title contention.
Though the Cavaliers continue to insist that they have no intention of making him available on the trade market before the February trade deadline, Love continues to increase his trade value.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5–YAIaEeY8&t=12s
Since the season started, Love has been impressive on both ends of the floor. In the 11 games he has played, the 31-year-old power forward is averaging 18.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and one steal while shooting 44.9 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from beyond the arc. However, despite his explosive performance almost every night, the Cavaliers still struggle to consistently win games and are currently sitting in the No. 10 spot in the Eastern Conference with a 4-8 record.
The departure of James is undeniably one of the major reasons why the Cavaliers are no longer considered a legitimate threat in the Eastern Conference, but as of now, Love has nothing but praise for his former teammate. Love said that any team that James is part of is fun to watch. He also denied some people’s claim that the Los Angeles Lakers superstar is “washed up,” saying that despite his age, James still hasn’t shown any significant sign of slowing down.
“It doesn’t look like he’s lost a step as he gets older in this league. He continues to get smarter and find ways to make everything work.”
Before they acquired Anthony Davis in the blockbuster deal with the New Orleans Pelicans, Love was emerging as one of the top candidates to be James’ running mate in Los Angeles. However, as of now, the reunion between Love and James seems unlikely to happen. Aside from Davis, the Lakers have already found their third superstar in Kyle Kuzma.