Heat Rumors: Kevin Love Declines Contract Option; Sides 'Enthusiastic' About New Deal

Kevin Love is hitting the open market.

The veteran forward declined the $4 million player option on his contract with the Miami Heat on Saturday, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Wojnarowski added Love and the Heat are "enthusiastic" about negotiating a new contract in free agency.

Love joined the Heat in February 2023 after he and the Cleveland Cavaliers agreed to a buyout. He told reporters shortly after joining Miami that the move was "breathing new life into me."

The Heat reached the NBA Finals in his first season with the team. While he was largely a secondary contributor, he made his presence known at times in the playoffs. He notched a double-double of 15 points and 12 rebounds in the first-round closeout win over the Milwaukee Bucks after scoring 18 points in Game 1 and also scored 12 points in Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the Denver Nuggets.

Love was a veteran leader during that playoff run, which was the exact role he played in 2023-24.

In 55 appearances last season, he averaged 8.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 44 percent from the floor and 34.4 percent from deep. He largely came off the bench and provided a spark as a forward with the ability to stretch the floor and help control the glass but was also an occasional spot starter who could get a double-double if given enough minutes.

He was unable to replicate his previous impact in the playoffs, though, and averaged just 1.8 points and 2.8 rebounds per game as Miami lost to the Boston Celtics in the first round.

There was a time when Love was one of the best players in the league with a resume that includes the 2016 championship with the Cavaliers, two All-NBA selections and five All-Star Game nods. He also led the league with 15.2 rebounds per game in 2010-11 when he was a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The No. 5 overall pick of the 2008 NBA draft stuffed the stat sheet at 19.2 points and 12.2 rebounds per game during his first six seasons with the Timberwolves and then started winning at a higher level in Cleveland, where he played into a ninth season from 2014-15 until the buyout in 2022-23.

Love was an important part of the Cavaliers squad that overcame a 3-1 deficit against the Golden State Warriors to win the 2016 NBA Finals as a third scorer alongside LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.

He won't be that version of himself at 36 years old throughout the 2024-25 campaign, but he will surely remain a veteran leader for whichever team signs him after his departure from Miami.