Kevin Love clearly wants LeBron James to remain with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Well that, or he really wants the four-time MVP to take him wherever he goes in free agency.
Speaking about his future in Cleveland on the heels of another NBA Finals loss to the Golden State Warriors, Love indicated a desire to not only continue playing with James, but to stay put altogether. Per WKYC’s Matthew Florjancic:
And not surprisingly, Kevin Love’s name has been mentioned as the most tradeable asset currently on the roster, especially when paired with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.
“Anything is possible,” Love said. “People have been saying that for the past four years. I knew that question would come, but I like to be here. I’ve always said that. Always wanted to win here.” . . .
“It’s something where I’m sure he will spend time with his family and when that times comes to make a decision, he will be in a good frame of mind,” Love said. “Obviously, I’d love to play with LeBron the rest of my career, but that will be a choice that he makes.”
It would be easy to take the “Well, who wouldn’t want to be guaranteed NBA Finals appearances year after year?” slant. But playing with James isn’t easy. You’re under constant pressure and scrutiny. If you win, he shoulders the praises. If you lose, he’ll be held responsible, but a lion’s share of the criticism will fall on his supporting cast mates, such as Love. Also, every offseason is typically viewed as some referendum. Big changes need to be made for him to have a shot at beating the Warriors. That invariably puts your name on the chopping block. Love is no stranger to that either.
It’s almost admirable, then, that he wants to stay with James. It says a lot about Love, and his desire to win. Unfortunately, though, it doesn’t say much about LeBron’s decision itself. We still have no idea where he’ll land.
