Kevin Love is out of the Cleveland Cavaliers rotation ahead of Thursday’s Trade Deadline

One-time NBA champion Kevin Love, who won a ring in Cleveland with LeBron James in 2016, has been removed from the Cavaliers rotation before the Trade Deadline on Thursday.

The 34-year-old power forward hasn’t seen a minute of league action since the Cavs lost to the New York Knicks, 103-105, on January 24. 

Since then, the Cavs have gone on to play six NBA games with Love staying put on the team’s bench due to a coaching decision and a back issue. 

‘He is out of the rotation to make room for Dean Wade,’ tweeted Cleveland.com’s NBA reporter Chris Fedor. ‘There was a conversation between J.B. [Bickerstaff] and Kevin about that recently. Even though it was difficult, it’s what was best.’ 

Love has been averaging 8.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 20 minutes of gametime this season. His overall shooting hasn’t been great at 38.9 percent, even though he can still drill three-pointers on any given night (35.4 percent).

Love’s game-time has been reduced at the expense of the return of Dean Wade from injury

His inconsistency this season has the Cavs now prioritizing both Wade and Cedi Osman over him as the team tries to make the playoffs and compete for an NBA title for the first time since James’ departure to L.A. in 2018.

Wade’s recent emergence stems from his return from a shoulder sprain, which kept the small forward out for a month in December.

Love signed a four-year, $120.4million contract with Cleveland during the 2019-20 season, making him the second-highest paid player on the team, only behind the fairly newly-acquired Donovan Mitchell, who’s earning roughly $31million this year. 

Love will earn a base salary of $28,942,830 this season before becoming a free agent in the summer. The Cavs could buy him out before then but that remains highly unlikely due to the former UCLA man’s hefty contract.

Among teams interested in acquiring Love, now or in six months, are the Lakers, as Lebron James is considering a reunion with his former teammate.

The Lakers are interested in having Love, as LeBron James could reunite with his ex-teammate