Kevin Love Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Reason Cavaliers bought out Kevin Love revealed

Originally posted on Sportsnaut | By Jason Burgos | Last updated 2/23/23

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ decision to buy out the remaining time on Kevin Love’s contract was apparently not a decision made just to help out a player who helped them win a championship in 2016.

For the last nine seasons, Kevin Love has been a stalwart of the roster for some major highs and lows for the Cavaliers, including four straight trips to the NBA Finals. With the team now built around a talented young core of stars, the 34-year-old fell out of the rotation in January and wanted the chance to play elsewhere.

Most assumed the Cavs acquiesced to his request because of his years of service to the team. However, there was much more to the decision than a show of respect.

Cleveland Cavaliers were concerned about Kevin Love’s unhappiness ‘festering’

On Wednesday, Cleveland.com NBA insider Chris Fedor spoke on the buyout and how many players were shocked by the move. However, he also revealed the organization’s "growing concerns" after Love was openly unhappy with being benched during a down season in favor of a young player like Dean Wade.

“Sources say Love’s relationship with Cleveland’s decision-makers is currently strained — a byproduct of how recent events unfolded. The Cavs were starting to grow concerned about his unhappiness festering, especially since there were no plans to re-insert him into the lineup. With about two months remaining in the regular season, the ticklish situation could have led to another infamous blowup. It’s one reason the Cavs were so willing to honor his buyout request”
– Chris Fedor

Love will join the Miami Heat for the remainder of the 2022-2023 season, and there is a good chance they and the Cavaliers could face off in this year’s NBA playoffs.

This article first appeared on Sportsnaut and was syndicated with permission.

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