Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 impacts of Kevin Love’s extension

Kevin Love signed a four-year, $120 million extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Too what extent does this deal impact the team going forward?

Forget the good. Forget the bad. Forget the….handsome? We’ll get to that in a bit.

Kevin Love inked a four-year, $120 million contact extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday. It’s one of the most lucrative bonds signed this summer.

Even though the figure pales in comparison to contracts scripted by LeBron James ($153.3 million for four years) and Chris Paul ($160 million for four years), it’s a hefty investment apparently reflecting the Cavs’ intentions to attempt to contend in the Eastern Conference for the next half-decade.

We’ll also get to that in a second.

It’s easy to raise an eyebrow at the lofty deal for the back-to-back All-Star. Love ranked 83rd in Value Over Replacement Player. Fellow post player Julius Randle is younger and signed a much more team-friendly contract with the New Orleans Pelicans. He’s ranked 74th in VORP. Nikola Jokic signed a comparable contract to Love’s and he’s ranked fifth.

On the other hand, Cleveland solidified its reliable, likable centerpiece for years to come. Love is in his late 20s — the theoretical prime age for NBA players — and has a game that should age well. You can see him, bandaged knees and all, rotating off pick-and-pops for deep buckets at rec leagues well into his 60s.

It’s easy to spot the good and the bad, but how does this contract shape Cleveland’s next couple seasons? Here are three ways.