Kevin Love is happy to have received a guarantee that he’ll be with the Cleveland Cavaliers until 2023 after he signed a four-year, $120 million deal with the Cavs that would kick in once the 2018-19 season is over. He could have become a free agent next year by declining to pick up his player option for the 2019-20 season, which he did, but only to give way for the extension he just signed.
Speaking in front of reporters on Monday, Love professed how much he likes playing in Cleveland and talked about his decision to stay put in the city, even though he had some options to explore and weigh prior to his signing the extension with the Cavs, saying “I could play anywhere, live anywhere but I’m glad it’s here,” per Fox Sports Ohio.
Love also offered an insight on how he’s preparing for the upcoming season, which would be his first in Cleveland minus four-time MVP LeBron James.
“I’m a home body. I take care of myself, so I can go out there and play. So, I have a pretty much a high-performance center at my house, so I can go out there and perform.”
Despite James’ departure and the rise of other powers in the Eastern Conference, there’s plenty of reason for Kevin Love to be thrilled coming into the next season. For one, he’s in line to be the focal point on offense again. Love’s usage went down in Cleveland after he was traded there by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2014, as he had to co-exist with ball-dominant figures in James and Kyrie Irving.
With both gone, Love is expected to be the primary option for Cleveland, beginning next season. Rookie Collin Sexton figures to be his new running mate, but it seems that for the first time in years, the Cavs will go as far as where Love takes them.
