Kevin Love’s time in Cleveland finally came to an end after 8.5 seasons — four of which were spent with Love constantly in trade rumors — when he was bought out by the Cavs after the trade deadline. The veteran forward was picked up by the Miami Heat, who brought him in to bolster their frontcourt and bring some added spacing, and while he had a rocky regular season as a shooter, he regained his shooting stroke come playoff time, starting 18 playoff games for the Heat in their run to the Finals.
That postseason run proved he can still contribute in a limited role for a team needing a pick-and-pop/spot-up threat from the power forward spot. After rumblings he was under consideration by the Lakers and Suns, two star-studded Western Conference contenders looking for veteran minimum additions, Love decided to return to the Heat after finding a comfortable spot last season, per Tim Reynolds.
Kevin Love is returning to the Miami Heat, source tells AP.
Josh Richardson is also a Heater again, source tells AP.
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) July 1, 2023
Kevin Love will sign a 2-year deal, with the second year at his option, source tells AP.
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) July 1, 2023
Love averaged 7.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in 20 regular season games for Miami last season, with similar production in the postseason (6.9 points and 5.6 rebounds) on improved shooting, knocking down 37.5 percent of his threes in the Heat’s run to the Finals. After seeing Gabe Vincent and (likely) Max Strus leave, retaining Love became increasingly important for a Miami team that was facing having to replace a number of playoff contributors.
Source: https://uproxx.com/dimemag/kevin-love-signs-miami-heat-free-agency-contract-details/
