Based on how the Los Angeles Lakers were constructed in the offseason, any sort of upgrade this season was likely going to come via the buyout market. While there is the potential of trading Talen Horton-Tucker if the price is right, the buyout market is much more likely.
That is exactly why the team wanted to keep the roster at 14 players and even when they signed Avery Bradley to the 15th roster spot they signed him to a non-guaranteed deal. The second that an upgrade was available on the market the Lakers were going to pounce.
There was one potential buyout target that was better than the rest and was the dream scenario for the Los Angeles Lakers: Kevin Love. Love has one of the worst contracts in the sport and is untradeable. It seemed possible that the Cavs would buy him out heading into the season, even with another year on his deal.
The Detroit Pistons bought Blake Griffin out for a year and a half and the Love situation appeared to be similar. With connections to Russell Westbrook and LeBron James, Love seemed like the perfect guy for the Lakers to get. Someone who they could put in the frontcourt next to Anthony Davis without hurting the floor spacing.
He is not all-star Kevin Love anymore, but he would have been a great fit. The keyword there is would have as there is absolutely no chance that the Lakers even get the opportunity to sign Love this season.
The Cleveland Cavaliers’ resurgence will keep Kevin Love away from the Los Angeles Lakers.
Laker fans have been so busy worrying about the purple and gold during its struggles that they may not have realized that the Cleveland Cavaliers are good this season. As it currently stands, the Cavaliers are fourth in the Eastern Conference with an 18-12 record. Their resurgence is no joke either as they rank fourth in the league in net rating and fourth in Basketball-Reference’s Simple Rating System.
They have been good. They probably still won’t get out of the second round of the playoffs because of a lack of starpower but they have something special going on in Cleveland. The Cavs have eight players averaging in double-figures and seemed to land the best player in the 2021 NBA Draft, Evan Mobley.
Love is one of those players who is averaging over 10 points per game and his impact on that team is felt. Not only is he impacting the game as a legitimate rotation player off the bench, but his veteran presence has been huge to guys like Mobley, Lauri Markannen and Jarrett Allen.
The Cavaliers have no reason to want to get rid of Kevin Love and he has no reason to want to leave Cleveland. The team is winning games and even Love himself said he is having a lot of fun. All of that is very unfortunate for the Los Angeles Lakers.