J.B. Bickerstaff Explains What He Believes Led To The Buyout Between Cavaliers And Kevin Love
When the Cleveland Cavaliers wrapped up their final game before the All-Star Break, everything seemed normal from the fan's perspective. The team sat fourth in the Eastern Conference and had a nice winning streak going until a difficult loss to the 76ers.
However, behind the scenes was a different story.
Kevin Love had been out of the Cavs' rotation for a few weeks with Dean Wade filling the role that was once Love's. Wade's versatility on offense and defense made him a better fit over K-Love next to the dynamic guards of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell.
This led to the surprise revelation that Love and the Cavaliers had reached a contract buyout which paved the way for Love to join the Miami Heat. The buyout came even after Koby Altman said there had been no talks of this after the trade deadline.
Not being able to be on the floor clearly was beginning to affect Love and Cavs' head coach J.B. Bickerstaff explained how he noticed him becoming increasingly frustrated with his lack of minutes:
"It's not 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 a team. He believes that. It's that frustration of not being to participate with your teammates."
Dec 10, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff reacts during the first half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
From a human nature perspective, I think this a very fair approach for Love to have. He feels he can still help a team win. Plus, with him being in the back half of his career this opportunity won't physically always be there for him.
Not seeing Kevin Love wear the wine and gold will definitely be an adjustment for Cavaliers fans. But as an NBA fan, it'll nice to see him actually get back on the floor.
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