Kevin Love Reportedly Opts out of Cavaliers Contract
Whileย Kevin Love has previously said he would like to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers next season, the team must now sway him to sign a new contract.ย
Love will become a free agent on July 1 after reportedly opting out of the final year of a deal that would have paid him $16.7 million, according to Marc Stein of ESPN. Tom Withers of of the Associated Press confirmed the report.
Daryl Ruiter of 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland added LeBron James and J.R. Smith are expected to do the same, saying it's a "complete formality."
However, if Love listens to pitches from other teams, expect the Boston Celtics to pursue, along with Robin Lopez and Paul Pierce, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.ย
Love was asked on June 5 if he wanted to be back in Cleveland for the 2015-16 season, and he responded, "Yes. I want to win," per ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne. He also answered questions on why there continues to be speculation about his opting out of his deal:
"It's just the way the world works now. People talk so much and might tell themselves a lie so much they start to believe it. From there, the narrative starts to change. I haven't changed my narrative. I'm going to keep supporting these guys, and we'll be talking to Cleveland after the season.
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The 26-year-old did go through some growing pains with the Cavaliers before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in the playoffs, posting his worst shooting percentage (43.4) in a season with more than 70 games played and being relegated to the bench in the fourth quarter on multiple occasions.
Despite those struggles, Love has always said he wants to be in Cleveland next year. He told reporters on May 31, via Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group, that his expectation is "toย be suiting up for Game 1" next year.
