Altman on Love’s Presence with the Cavs, “We Want Him to be Here”

Kevin Love has two years remaining on his lucrative contract. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers appear poised to turn the page towards a new era. Regardless of Cleveland’s burgeoning roster of promising youngsters, Cavs GM Koby Altman explained that Love is still viewed as a valuable piece inside the organization.

The Plain Dealer’s Terry Pluto highlighted Altman’s comments on Sunday.

Altman said this about Love: “When we talk to the younger group about leadership, Kevin does that on and off the court. We want him to be here. We signed him to an extension for that reason, to be here when we want to make that next step. We’re going to hopefully rely on him heavily next year after a significant summer. ... He needs to get his body right.”

Pluto went on to point out that Altman’s comments could represent a desperate attempt to salvage Love’s trade value.

Did anyone expect Altman to say anything but positive things about Love? The Cavs have been trying to deal him for a while. As I’ve written in the past, not likely to happen with two years and $60 million left on his contract. But if Altman said, “It’s time to move on from Kevin,” how would that help his trade value?

Prior to the end of the 2020-21 regular season, Love discussed his desire to play in Portland with Yahoo Sports NBA Insider Chris Haynes. The former UCLA standout is under contract through the 2022-23 season and is set to earn roughly $60 million over that span.

You can read Pluto’s full post by clicking here.