Report: Cavs not shopping Love, want to keep him even if LeBron leaves
The Cleveland Cavaliers see a future with Kevin Love still a vital part of their team, even if that future may not include LeBron James alongside him.
Management is not actively shopping the five-time All-Star power forward ahead of Thursday's NBA Draft, league sources told ESPN's Dave McMenamin.
Even if James elects to leave Cleveland this summer during free agency, the Cavaliers reportedly still have interest in keeping Love for the 2018-19 season.
Just days after Cleveland was swept in the Finals by the now two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors, Love said he hopes to be a teammate of James' for the remainder of his career. That's still up in the air, though, as James hasn't informed the Cavaliers of his intentions yet, per McMenamin.
No matter what happens with The King, Cleveland doesn't intend to blow up its roster and start from scratch. They've even made inquiries to the San Antonio Spurs about a possible deal for Kawhi Leonard.
Love is on the books next season for $24.1 million, with a player option of $25.5 million in 2019-20. He made 59 appearances in the 2017-18 season, averaging 17.6 points and 9.3 rebounds while shooting above 40 percent from 3-point range (41.5) for just the second time since 2008.
His scoring dipped to 14.9 points per game and a 34 percent conversion rate from deep across 21 playoff outings. Even amid Love's struggles, Cleveland still managed to get out of the Eastern Conference bracket and advance to the Finals for a fourth straight year.