Kevin Love’s Buyout Doesn’t Eliminate Him From Cavaliers’ Rafter Contention

The Cleveland legend could still get his jersey retired.

The Cavaliers and Kevin Love went their separate ways this week, agreeing to a contract buyout that will enable the veteran forward to sign elsewhere for the remainder of the season. Amid his exit from Cleveland, Love reportedly has been linked with the Heat and 76ers as potential landing spots.

Just because Love’s tenure with the Cavaliers ended early doesn’t mean there’s any bad blood between him and the organization, however. In fact, Cleveland’s President of Basketball Operations, Koby Altman, said he’s hopeful the 34-year-old will eventually have his jersey hanging from the rafters at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, via NBA.com.

“Kevin represented the organization and the city of Cleveland with the utmost charm and professionalism during his nine seasons in Northeast Ohio. He also embodied everything a franchise would want in a player, and the admiration and gratitude we have for him will ultimately land his jersey in the rafters of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse,” said Altman in a statement on Saturday. 

Love spent nine seasons with the Cavaliers, having been with the organization since the 2014-15 season. During his time in Cleveland, he made four NBA Finals appearances and won a ring in the 2015-16 season.

When it comes to his No. 0 jersey, it seems likely it’ll eventually be enshrined in Cavs lore, at least based on Altman’s comments. He would join Bingo Smith (7), Zydrunas Ilgauskas (11), Larry Nance (22), Mark Price (25), Austin Carr (34), Nate Thurmond (42), and Brad Daughtery (43) among the numbers retired by franchise.

As for the buyout situation, Love had featured in 41 games for Cleveland this season, starting only three times. Across 20 minutes per game, the 15-year veteran recorded 8.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.