Love addresses persistent trade rumors: 'Nothing's changed'

With five All-Star selections and an NBA title to his credit, Kevin Love sticks out on a 5-17 Cleveland Cavaliers squad with its sights set toward long-term development.

So it's no surprise to Love that the Cavaliers are reportedly open to trading him. Rumors about the forward being dealt have been near-constant since he joined the franchise via trade in the summer of 2014.

"Nothing's changed," Love told ESPN's Tim Bontemps on Monday. "What I mean by that is, since I got here ... since I f-----g got here, there's been talk of me being traded, so it's nothing different. If they decide to go that way, I've just got to know it's part of the business, or if we decide to go that way, it's part of the business.

"Truthfully, I don't know how it's going to play out, because I see both sides."

Love is currently averaging 16.1 points per game on an effective field goal percentage of 53.8%, and he's snagging 10.5 rebounds a night. He'd be a clear upgrade at one of the frontcourt positions for a number of would-be title contenders.

However, with the 31-year-old in the first season of a four-year, $120.4-million deal, matching his $28.9-million salary for 2019-20 will likely require the Cavaliers to take back multiple players in return. For that reason, Dec. 15 is a key date for the floor-spacing big man; that's when players who signed free-agent contracts this summer - approximately 40% of the league - are eligible to be included in trades, dramatically lifting restrictions on potential moves.