The Miami Heat executed a heist on Monday, swapping Kyle Anderson and Kevin Love for Norman Powell in a three-team trade involving the Los Angeles Clippers and the Utah Jazz. It's unclear how exactly Pat Riley made this happen, but as a result of the deal, 36-year-old Kevin Love is now a member of the Jazz.
That will not last long. Utah is plainly in tank mode, no matter what Austin Ainge says at pressers, so Love will be swiftly bought out and allowed to join a contender of his choice. I wouldn't completely rule out retirement as an option — Love's on-court utility is waning and he has accomplished more than enough in his career — but if the 17-year NBA vet wants another go at things, at least a few front offices ought to pick up the phone.
We should temper expectations right now. Love is little more than a bench warmer. But in an emergency, he can still provide some value with his 3-point shooting, rebounding and sharp offensive processing in the frontcourt. Here are a few contenders where Love might find a comfortable late-career home.
3. Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers lost Myles Turner to free agency in shocking fashion, either refusing to match the four-year, $108.9 million offer sheet he received from Milwaukee or never getting the chance to match, depending on whom you ask.
Either way, it leaves the Pacers with a void in the frontcourt. A recent trade for Jay Huff gives them a bit of shooting and athleticism at the five spot, but Huff was a bit player in Memphis. It's hard to expect him to jump straight to quality starter. James Wiseman is back, but he's hardly trustworthy.
With so much uncertainty around the Pacers' center depth chart, perhaps Love is worth a look. This is a team with clear postseason aspirations, even after the Tyrese Haliburton injury, and Love fits Indiana's offensive scheme quite well. He won't really protect the rim and he's most valuable as a mentor to Indy's youth in the frontcourt, but this is a reasonable partnership for both sides.
2. Portland Trail Blazers
This one feels far-fetched, as Love probably prefers a more immediate contender. The Portland Trail Blazers are taking meaningful steps toward contention, but you'd be foolish to expect the Blazers to challenge OKC or Denver in the playoffs. That said, those "meaningful steps" are, well, meaningful. And Love could help Portland continue to shape its culture and build a winner.
The Blazers have invested back-to-back first round picks in the center position with Donovan Clingan and Hansen Yang. You can more easily draw the line from Yang to Love than with Clingan, but the 36-year-old has plenty of wisdom to impart on both youngsters. Moreover, it's a basketball fit. Clingan in particular is an elite rim protector who can potentially cover for Love on defense in certain lineups. Meanwhile, Love's ability to bomb 3s could prove useful in small doses for a team built around slashing guards and wings, but with limited spacing.
Bringing Love and Jrue Holiday into the locker room feels like a savvy move for a young Blazers team with considerable upward momentum. As Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe and others begin to scratch the surface of their potential, Portland's voracious defense will start leading to W's. Love will help mostly from the shadows, but he's a good dude to have around your clubhouse.
1. Cleveland Cavaliers
Love won the championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, so a return just feels natural, right? Love left the Cavs when the team felt years away from meaningful contention. Now Cleveland is the prohibitive favorite to win the East next season. Love might not help much on the court, but he's a source of wisdom and he does fit Cleveland's roster, however small the role.
Cleveland will split the majority of center minutes between its twin towers, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, with Dean Wade, Larry Nance Jr. and De'Andre Hunter in the mix for minutes at the four. But really, the Cleveland frontcourt depth isn't elite. Far from it. Love can provide his standard blend of shooting, toughness and IQ as a third-string center, all while relishing the chance to compete for a title one final time in a Cavs uniform.
For reasons both sentimental and practical, this is probably the most reasonable landing spot for Love. The Cavs have the roster space right now and there is still plenty of time for Love to supplement the development of guys like Mobley. He's an A-plus leader and, if not much else, still a legitimate shooting threat at 6-foot-8. Cleveland should place a call.