Cleveland Cavaliers: Why the Kevin Love extension was needed

The Cleveland Cavaliers signed Kevin Love to a long-term extension on Tuesday. Was this the right move for the club? Is Love the answer to get back to a title?

The Cleveland Cavaliers at least have one player who will remain loyal to the club.

According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, Kevin Love has signed a four-year, $120 million extension with the Cavaliers. In total, it will amount to five years and $125 million.

The move was questionable by some around the league, since Love was going to be a free agent next season and could have commanded more money on the open market.

He also took a bit of a pay cut so the Cavs would have flexibility to add more players when needed. It also helps that the Cavs will have more cap space available next offseason.

This is a welcome edition for Cavs fans, the organization, and most importantly, the city of Cleveland. It showed that a five-time All-Star wanted to stay in a mid-market and build something special for the foreseeable future.

After going through what the Cavs endured nationally once again, this is one of the better stories of free agency.

Love was easily the target as the most scrutinized player on the team and possibly in the NBA, and yet he remains.

Most people that have read my articles know that I have been Love’s harshest critic since he got traded to the team in 2015 for Andrew Wiggins. He’s always been a player that underachieved and could have done more. However, that could change with him being the main guy on the team now.

He could easily turn back the clocks, and be the star he was during his time with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Love obviously won’t put up huge numbers as he once did, but he will carry most of the scoring load and be looked upon in crunch time.

Will he be able to handle that responsibility again? It will remain to be seen.

Some fans are upset with the new deal. They believe that a team should completely tank for the next seaso, and hope to get a top-five pick in the draft.

The Cavs also have a top-10 protected 2019 pick heading to the Atlanta Hawks that is more likely to convey if Cleveland remains competitive. That right there is the problem: Fans are so worried about keeping picks instead of competing and building something special.

In the last article, it was mentioned about how the Cavaliers aren’t a team that has had much success when it came to drafting talent over the years.

Why would that change now? Yes, there is a new general manager in place with Koby Altman, who might have a different vision, but that doesn’t guarantee the team’s luck will be different.

The Orlando Magic, Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns (until now, potentially), Brooklyn Nets, Hawks, New York Knicks have all tried to tank at one point, and it’s gotten them nowhere.

The Kings haven’t been to the playoffs since 2006. That’s 12 years. I’m sure Kings fans still have nightmares of that great Ron Artest and Bonzi Wells duo.

It’s just not something that’s worth the risk.

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If a team can continue to add on and be competitive year after year, it’s a no-brainer. No fan wants to see his/her team lose 15 games in a row, or sign mediocre players to throw a season away.

The Cavs are also in the Eastern Conference.

We saw the Indiana Pacers take the squad to seven games. The Cavaliers aren’t capable of doing that to another team?  They are a still a championship franchise with a winning culture. It’s only been two years.

LeBron James leaving again obviously hurts the team, but fans act like he was the sole reason the club had any success.

In the NBA, a team consists of five players on the floor — not just one. That seems to be forgotten. A team with Love, Collin Sexton, Cedi Osman and Rodney Hood (pending) as the potential focal points doesn’t sound so bad.

There will be struggles and tribulations, as is always the case when a superstar leaves a team in most cases, but it shouldn’t be as tough as some are making it out to be.

It should be fun and entertaining basketball for Cavaliers fans next season.

Love might never get this team back to where it needs to be, and that would be tough for fans to endure, but at least it shows a player of his caliber wants to stay with a smaller franchise and embrace it when things get tough.