INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – The Cavaliers reconvened Wednesday for a post-All-Star break practice for the first time without Kevin Love on the floor.
Love requested, and received a contract buyout over the weekend from the team he spent nine years with and helped to win an NBA championship.
“I was shocked,” All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell said. “I didn’t know that was going to be my last game seeing him.”
While Mitchell was taken aback by the news, he understood Love’s desire to move on.
“I don’t think any of us took it personally,” Mitchell said. “I think with his role in the past 10 or 11 games wasn't what he wanted, and as players we understand that. If that was his decision, that's fine. We have no love lost. I don't hate him, I don't. If it's on the court, I hate him, but know at the end of the day, that's a guy that I ultimately respect.
“He sees value in the way he can play, and he wasn't getting an opportunity here and I think that's the ultimate best decision for him as a player and you want to respect that.”
Love fell out of head coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s rotation in recent weeks but felt he still had something to contribute on the floor.
Following the buyout, Love signed with the Miami Heat, a team Cleveland could face come playoff time.
“You never wanted to get to that point,” Bickerstaff said. “I think just understanding the nature of our business, it wasn't a surprise, so to speak. Knowing Kevin wants to compete, knowing he wants to play have a specific role laid out for him it was the only available option from that standpoint, from the conversations that we had.”
Bickerstaff could tell Love wasn’t happy sitting on the bench but appreciated his professionalism.
“It [wasn’t] a disruptive unhappy or combative unhappy,” Bickerstaff said. “Kevin wants to play and I understand that he wants to be on the floor.
He can help teams or help a team. He believes that. So I think it's that frustration of not being able to participate with your teammates that you could feel when you could sense it.”
Veteran Danny Green just joined the Cavs after completing a buyout with the Rockets following a deadline trade from Memphis to Houston and was looking forward to reuniting with Love after hosting him as a recruit in college at North Carolina.
“I'm happy for him,” Green said. “I know it's a better situation for him. Anytime you could see a guy go somewhere else to fit their career or as their family, whatever it is that better it's always a better a feeling, a good feeling for them.”
If there’s anyone who understands Love’s decision, it is Green.
“I've been around this league for a long while, so I know the business side of it,” Green said. “I don't take a lot of things personally. I've been traded a couple times and there's no love lost between those organizations. I guess it just takes time and for some guys to understand that. Obviously some guys, there's always a little bit of personal [feelings], but most of the time it's business and me being in the business, I can understand it.”
As part of their announcement of the buyout, the Cavs mentioned they plan to retire Love’s No. 0 one day.
“There’s no reason why it shouldn’t be,” Bickerstaff said.