Former Cavaliers player hates rule that is hurting team before trade deadline

The Cleveland Cavaliers have played 38 games and sport a 21-17 overall record that slots them as the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference. For a team that was projected to compete for an NBA Championship, this has been a disappointing season.

But the Cavaliers are stuck. If they wanted to make any trades, they'd have to work through apron rules, guidelines that are really tough for an organization's front offices to work around.

Former Cleveland Cavalier standout and current member of the Utah Jazz, Kevin Love, is approaching the tail end of his NBA career. His experience in the league has led to him having brash thoughts on the apron rules on The Old Man And The Three podcast.

“I’ll tell you what’s really f------ stupid, these aprons are f------ with the game," Love said. "That’s on our side, they know exactly who they are that did it… You’re telling me OKC can’t keep those 3 guys together because of these aprons? That’s bullsh*t. You’re telling me Sam Presti is handcuffed because of these f------ aprons?… It’s also going to hit teams' cap when signing a veteran, and I think veterans matter.”

Kevin Love sounds off on the players union who created the Apron Rules 😳

“I’ll tell you what’s really f*cking stupid, these Aprons are f*cking with the game. That’s on our side, they know exactly who they are that did it… You’re telling me OKC can’t keep those 3 guys together… https://t.co/PsMeL5aSGC pic.twitter.com/qfTY6nl2mf
— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) January 6, 2026

Love explains problem Cavs are facing

Just like the Cavaliers, the Oklahoma City Thunder are going to be in a tough spot. They've got somewhat of a big three in place, but due to contractual issues, they probably won't be able to keep the group together.

Love could also be speaking from experience on the last part of his claim. The 37-year-old seems to be stuck with the Jazz, primarily due to the fact that most high-level teams in the league don't have the cap space to bring in a veteran due to the apron rules.

Love isn't where he used to be as a five-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection, but he's still consistently averaging good numbers off the bench. In 2025, he's tacked on 7.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists a game.

Since leaving the Cavaliers back in the 2022-23 season, he's spent time with the Miami Heat and now the Jazz.

He's also more than just an on-court contributor, but also a locker room leader. Behind closed doors, he helps guide the younger players and pull the team out of tough spots.

And while he maybe has one-to-two years left until he ends up retiring, returning to the Cavaliers would fit perfectly.

The only issue is those apron rules that Love mentioned his dissatisfaction with. The Cavaliers are over the second apron, meaning that they do not have access to the mid-level exception and the taxpayer mid-level exception to sign free agents. They also cannot aggregate multiple contracts or include cash in a trade, which is a huge bump if they do end up trying to make something happen as the season comes to a close.

As the NBA trade deadline slowly approaches, the Cavaliers are expected to be relatively active in pursuing a few changes to bolster the lineup ahead of the playoffs. While they will be in a tough spot on the money side, there are a few one-for-one or multi-team trades they could pull off.

Whether you think they are good or bad, changes will be made in the coming years as team owners and players alike realize how detrimental aprons are to the creation of a dynasty and the chance for loyalty to be built within an organization.