Kevin Love’s time with the Miami Heat has come to an abrupt end, and from the sound of it — the veteran forward wasn’t too happy about how it all went down.
On Monday morning, the Heat sent Love and Kyle Anderson to the Utah Jazz as part of a three-team trade that brought Norman Powell to Miami and landed John Collins with the Clippers. Love’s expiring contract helped make the financials work, but emotionally? Not so smooth.
The 36-year-old, who’s no stranger to big trades (remember the 2014 blockbuster that took him from Minnesota to Cleveland just before LeBron returned?), appeared to be blindsided this time. This latest move may have been one of the most unexpected moments in his 17-year NBA journey.
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the rebuilding Jazz are likely to buy out Love’s contract, freeing him to explore free agency once again.
While Love isn’t the game-changer he once was — he only played 23 games last season, averaging 5 points and 4 rebounds in just over 10 minutes per night — he still wants to continue his career into the 2025–26 season.
Some have speculated that if Jonas Valanciunas keeps dodging Denver, Love could be a potential backup for Nikola Jokic. There’s also buzz about a possible Cavs reunion, especially given the cryptic social media activity from LeBron James, who recently opted into his deal but doesn’t seem fully committed to staying with the Lakers.
Should LeBron head back to Cleveland and the Cavs move some of their young core, Love could slide in as a depth piece — someone who already has proven chemistry with LeBron and helped deliver that legendary 2016 championship.
Still, there’s a less glamorous possibility looming: that this trade might mark the end of Love’s NBA career. Whether another team has a place for a veteran big man who’s become more of a locker room presence than a nightly contributor remains to be seen.
That said, Kevin Love’s impact has never just been about basketball. Over the past few seasons, he’s grown into a mental health advocate and team leader — especially during his time with the Heat.
One thing’s clear: Love didn’t exactly celebrate the Utah trade news — and honestly, who can blame him?
