Kevin Love: Wins Or Money?

I have 99.9 percent confidence that Kevin Love will return to the Cleveland Cavaliers next season.

Long before the season ended, there have been rumors about Love’s departure from the team because of his statistical drop from last season when he was with Minnesota. The noise died down for a while after he got hurt in the playoffs and all focus was on LeBron James, but now that the offseason has arrived, the heat has been turned back up to maximum.

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Love recently opted out of his deal with Cleveland, which makes sense. Not only will he potentially listen to other teams’ pitches to see what they’ve got, but if he re-signs with Cleveland it gives him the chance to get a contract better suited to his liking.

Now, it is entirely possible that Love leaves in free agency. Teams like the Lakers, Celtics, and Trail Blazers will make bold pitches. Those pitches may involve team history, Love’s own personal legacy and other things, but nothing will be as important as their ability to offer him more money.

A team like the Lakers, for example, has cash bursting out the wazoo. They’d offer him the max without a second thought. General manager Mitch Kupchak wouldn’t even blink.

So here’s what it boils down to for Love, who’s stated multiple times when asked about the situation that he’d like to stay with the Cavs: does he want to win or does he want more money?

He knows what losing is like. He did that for the early part of his career in Minnesota. He was getting paid there, but he decided he wanted to win (as well as make money). Would he really want to return to a situation like that, even if he was making more money?

Realistically, Love is in the best place he can be to win a title. He’s on a team that boasts the best player in the world and is in the far weaker conference. The Cavs should be making The Finals for the next few years to come, or at least have a chance of getting back every year.

If he moved to the West, that wouldn’t happen. There’s no team that could sign him there that would be able to guarantee the same sort of winning that the Cavs can. Add to that list every other team in the East. Why would Love ever make a move just to have to play against LeBron four times a year?

No, it’s clear that if Love does leave the Cavs, it’s because he wants more money than they can offer. Or perhaps it’s because he has decided he doesn’t want the pressure of being on a contender, but that’s unlikely.

This summer he’ll choose: wins or cash?

And look, I have no problem with players wanting money. Playing basketball in the NBA is a business and it deserves to be treated like one. Players do need to do whatever is best for them and makes them happy.

But if Love leaves Cleveland, he’s not about winning. It’s that simple. He’ll join a list of other guys who’ve shown the same.

One being Carmelo Anthony, who decided to re-sign with New York because he had built up so many business ties there and because they offered him a juicy contract. ‘Melo knew that winning with the Knicks was a nearly impossible task, though.

Given these options, and again reiterating the fact that Love has been so open about wanting to come back to the Cavs, it’s difficult to see him actually leaving. He has unfinished business to attend to.

It’ll be fun to watch him play in wine and gold again next season when, hopefully, he’s healthy once more.

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