The Cleveland Cavaliers are close to brining a championship back to a city that has been desperate for a championship for a long time. This will be the second trip to the Finals for LeBron as a Cavalier. The first time they were swept by the Spurs, but now LeBron has a much better supporting cast.
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LeBron probably hopes his team was a bit healthier going into these NBA Finals. They will be without their All-Star big man, Kevin Love, who suffered a season ending shoulder injury against the Boston Celtics.
Most were expecting Love to test free agency after struggling to fit in as the third option behind LeBron and Kyrie Irving. According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Love expects to be ready for game 1 of next season as a member of the Cavaliers:
Kevin Love on next season: "I truly expect to be suiting up for Game 1." For the Cavs? Love: "Yes, sir."
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) May 31, 2015
Strong words from Love, but it’s not much of a surprise. With the Cavs in the NBA Finals, Love has to support his teammates since he can’t be out in the court. Right now it’s about the ultimate goal, Love does not want to create a distraction as his team prepared for Steph Curry and the Warriors.
Love could sign the qualifying offer and spend another year with the Cavs and delay his free agency for a year. With the salary cap increasing, it could be in Love’s best interest to wait until the next free agency period in order to request a bigger contract.
The Lakers will probably be in the mix, wether it’s this off-season or the next.