After six fruitless seasons in Minnesota, Kevin Love finally finds himself on a contender in Cleveland. Only, now, the star big man has to watch the NBA Finals from the bench, his first foray into the postseason ending prematurely after four games.
"I've never wanted to be in a game more than that one," Love told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne of watching his Cavaliers fall to the Golden State Warriors in Game 1.
"I'd rather be out there helping those guys, and I saw a lot of places where I could help," said Love, who's been sidelined since dislocating his shoulder in Game 4 of Cleveland's first-round sweep of the Boston Celtics.
With the star power forward holding a $16.7 million player option for next season, speculation about whether Love will flee Cleveland as an unrestricted free agent this summer has dominated headlines all season, particularly as questions arose surrounding his relationship with LeBron James.
But Love said earlier this week that he believes he'll be in Cleveland come opening night next season, and after watching a thrilling Game 1 loss on Thursday, reiterated that point to Shelburne.
"Yes. I want to win," Love said when asked if he wanted to be back in Cleveland.
"People talk so much and might tell themselves a lie so much they start to believe it. From there, the narrative starts to change," Love said of the speculation surrounding his potential departure. "I haven't changed my narrative. I'm going to keep supporting these guys, and we'll be talking to Cleveland after the season."
Love could opt in to the final year of his deal, remaining with the Cavs before becoming an unrestricted free agent when the cap spikes with new television money in 2016. He could also opt to become a free agent this summer, either re-signing with a Cavs team that owns his Bird rights (and can therefore offer him more money and a fifth year) or taking his talents elsewhere for a four-year max.
Another option for Love is signing a short-term deal (spanning one or two years) as a UFA this summer to cash in now, while still giving him an opportunity to take advantage of a booming cap in 2016 or 2017.
Much has been made of the Cavs surviving the East without Love, with young power forward Tristan Thompson's effort on the offensive glass and on the defensive end a big boost, but retaining Love remains a key factor in Cleveland maintaining its hold on the East going forward.
While his contributions to the Cavs' playoff run didn't last long, the three-time All-Star was a key component of the team's first trip to the postseason in five years, averaging 16.4 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists on a True Shooting Percentage of 56.2 during the regular season.
Those numbers pale in comparison to Love's prodigious production as the clear-cut No. 1 option in Minnesota, but given his third-option status behind James and All-NBA point guard Kyrie Irving – in addition to Love being somewhat misused within the offense – they're impressive nonetheless.
