The Cleveland Cavaliers are in position to be one of the top teams in the east playoffs this season with LeBron James leading the way and while Kevin Love has been a strong contributor, he has had some noticeable struggles and that is why some in the media have speculated there is a chance he he could opt out in free agency this summer.
Earlier in the month Love spoke with ESPN.com about his individual struggles and now the success of the team has "helped him cope" with the transition in Cleveland. Love was previously with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the first stretch of his career and he was the main player in that offense. Love has had to change his style of play a bit with LeBron James leading things in Cleveland and he has also had to deal with back spasms this season.
The Cavaliers had a stretch where they lost only five times in 28 games and that has helped put them in first place in the central division. The Cavs are second in the east and looking strong and this comes with just about a month left until the playoffs start. Love said in his interview that "it is no time to sulk" about the back issues or his struggles in getting used to the offense. The Cavaliers have made numerous trades this season and Love is not the only player who has had to change things up.
Love has the power to opt out of his contract this summer and if he does that, the max deal he could get from the Cavaliers is for five years and over $100 million. According to Pro Basketball Talk, both the Knicks and the Lakers are "hoping" that Love opts out of his deal, as each team has enough cap space to offer him a max contract. The Lakers and Knicks can't give as much as the Cavaliers can, but Love may want the opportunity to be the main option again, especially if he wins a championship this year.
Before Love was traded to the Cavaliers, people around the league and in the media expected him to opt out of his contract this summer. After his trade there were reports that the Cavaliers would sign him back to a max deal once he opted out this summer, but that would not be legal under the current rules of the league and it was later denied by the Cavs and Love's representatives. Love has ties to Los Angeles and it has long been speculated that he could sign there. Love is averaging 16 points per game this season and right at 10 rebounds per contest.
Many have speculated that Love will wait until the following season to hit free agency after finishing his contract, as the NBA is headed towards a new CBA agreement that could open up even more money for players. LeBron signed a short deal in Cleveland to give himself the chance for another major contract and Kevin Love could look at doing the same. Either way, Love is expected to get a max deal once he hits free agency and the Cavs will have the chance to offer him the biggest contract.
