Kevin Love is going to be the highest-paid member of the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 2021-22 season. Again. He’s actually been the Cavs’ top earner for the past couple of years despite the fact that he’s missed a significant number of games throughout the past few seasons.
Chris Fedor of cleveland.com reports that this issue has been a thorn on the side of the Cavs front office:
Over the bulk of the last three seasons, while Love was sidelined because of a variety of injuries, members of the organization bemoaned his absence. Not only was Love supposed to be the team leader, but no one else on the roster had his reputation, resume and, most importantly, unique skill set.
The problem here is that Love’s injuries have been ongoing for the past three years. Injury-prone would be a complete understatement for the 33-year-old. Oh, and the fact that he’s set to pocket over $60 million more in the next two seasons is also a major concern.
The above report seems to also take a shot at Love’s leadership for the Cavs. In spite of his injury, he could have still played the role of the team’s talisman from the sidelines, especially considering how the Cavs’ young core is in dire need of guidance. Does the report imply that he hasn’t fulfilled this role?
At this point, it sounds like things are just getting from bad to worse for Kevin Love in Cleveland. Needless to say, his future with the Cavs is anything but guaranteed.