As of August 23, 2024, Kevin Love was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers 10 years ago. The price to get him via a three-team deal was Andrew Wiggins, the newly selected first overall pick, Anthony Bennett, the previous draft’s top choice and bust plus a trade exception to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Additionally, the Philadelphia 76ers got the Cavs’ 2016 FRP (Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot chosen).
Along with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, he helped change life for the Wine and Gold and was on board for the greatest ride in team history.
His initial transition was bumpy, going from Apex predator with the Minnesota Timberwolves to the third gun in Cleveland. It’s not an easy change because, on some nights, that role requires someone to take a backseat. Love’s sacrifice helped propel the Cavaliers into contending status.
Yet, Love’s 2014-15 season was cut short when Kelly Olynyk tore his shoulder up with a dirty grab. Eventually, Irving broke his kneecap in overtime of Game 1 of the Finals and James had to finish the fight on his own. Considering how much James made the Warriors sweat, the “what if” questions will never disappear.
It took him until his second season to find his proper footing with the team. In year one, James was passive-aggressive, telling him not to fit out on Twitter posts. Still, when Loves’ inaugural season ended in Cleveland, he was a free agent. James knew how valuable he was, so he visited him at a Los Angeles hotel to persuade him to stay. James was in the city for his skills camp.
Kevin Love's Championship impact on Cleveland
In year two with the Cavs, the former Most Improved Player and rebounding leader helped the Cavs rip through the East and then was part of the historic Finals comeback after the Warriors took a 3-1 lead. In Games 5, 6 and 7, Love made a key stop on the unanimous regular season MVP Stephen Curry to force a deep miss that could have tied the game with 33 seconds remaining.
A championship parade followed through Downtown Cleveland*. One of the indelible memories of the celebration was Love high-fiving fans from the convertible he was slowly riding in and later getting thanked by James in his speech.
“Everyone just buried him alive in the Finals,” James said referring to criticism Love got. “And to be able to respond like that in Game 7, that’s what real men do.”
Following up, Love was a crucial part of two more Finals teams in consecutive seasons (2017 and 2018) and was named an All-Star in both. When James left for the Los Angeles Lakers in summer 2018, Love extended for four years in The Land.
The post-LeBron era
Injuries plagued the next three straight years following James' exit to LA, but Love still made Team USA’s Olympic basketball roster for 2020 before withdrawing to heal his calf injury. Around the time that happened, executive snob Jerry Colangelo blasted Love on the way out as if the Cavalier wasn’t taking his work seriously.
Then Love had a bounce-back season for the Cavaliers off the bench as the last remaining piece of their championship days. He averaged 13.6 points on 59.4 true shooting percentage, with 7.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists nightly and earned the second most votes for Sixth Man of the Year.
When his time with the Wine and Gold was complete, his Hall of Fame case was solidified. Yet, his run ended prematurely with the Cavs- the team wanted to go younger and he still had game left in the tank. Fracturing the thumb on his shooting hand didn’t help.
His next stop was with the Miami Heat, and he assisted them in making the 2023 Finals as the first Play-In Tournament group to get there, averaging 18 minutes in the Playoffs. It kept his streak alive of every time his team made the playoffs, they made the finals.
That run ended in 2024, when the Heat lost round one to the eventual champions Boston Celtics. He’ll have two more years to make up for it after re-upping with the Heat to play a backup big and locker room counselor role.
“I like to bring a sense of levity to the locker room,” Love said after re-signing with the Heat. “But then also a sense of professionalism and the pursuit of just getting better every single day.”
Love finished his tenure in Cleveland with high all-time franchsie Playoff marks: third in scoring, rebounding, and connected trays (141), fifth in minutes, sixth in games played, seventh in steals and eighth in assists.
His top outing in wine and gold was in Game 1 of the 2017 Eastern Conference Finals. He lit up the Celtics at TD Garden for 32 points, including six of nine trifectas and 12 rebounds. A close second was his work versus the Toronto Raptors in Game 5 of the 2016 ECF. He put up 25 points on 80 percent shooting to help the Cavs take a 3-2 lead.
Off the court, Love became a champion for people struggling with mental health by openly sharing his journey. He also founded the Kevin Love Fund, a nonprofit focused on helping the community through mental health outreach and paying for school curriculum.
Someday, his jersey will hang in the rafters. For now, all Cleveland Cavaliers fans can do is thank him.