Chris Broussard: NBA Executives Think Kevin Love is Leaving the Cavs After the Season

Kevin Love-is-leaving or Kevin Love-wants-out rumors have been floating around the NBA since November, when the Cavaliers got off to a rocky start, and strangely, the scuttlebutt hasn’t subsided. Love’s stats have fallen off a cliff after averaging 25.9 ppg, 12.4 ppg, and shooting 45/37 last year in Minnesota. He’s down to 17.6 ppg and 10.7 rpg and only shooting 34 percent from deep.

Anyone with a clue expected his stats to fall – see Chris Bosh following his move from Toronto to Miami – but what’s been troubling is how Love isn’t playing much defense, the 3-point shooting is worse, and he doesn’t seem to be “fitting in” to the team.

Here’s what ESPN’s Chris Broussard said on TV this week: “Almost all the [NBA] executives I’ve spoken with believe he’s out of Cleveland at the end of the year. It’s amazing how many people around the league think he is gone.”

Indeed. So much for the “firm” 5-year, $120 million agreement with the Cavs.

There’s still 25-ish more regular season games to go, plus the lengthy postseason, but should the Cavs come up short of the Finals, the Love situation will be fascinating in June and July. If he leaves … Cleveland will have given up promising Andrew Wiggins (currently 15.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg and 35% on 3-pointers) in exchange for a guy who played one year and bolted.

Where would Love go? Maybe the Lakers? You know Daryl Morey could create room for him in Houston. The Knicks? LOL.