Former Heat player "stung" by trade that shipped him out

The NBA is a cold business, especially for basketball old-timers. Résumés don’t matter when the tread on their wheels is gone, because, like any other place, it’s about “what can you do for me lately?”

It’s been no different for Kevin Love.

The eventual Hall of Famer spoke with Esports Insider, telling them he and his family had “laid roots in Miami,” and that it stung to be included in a trade. He acknowledged that the team improved during the transaction and that this is how it goes in the NBA. Still, his time in Miami mattered.

The Cleveland Cavaliers made the mistake of thinking he was fried because he wasn’t accurate coming off a fracture in the thumb of his shooting hand. It didn’t take long for him to shine as a cog on the second eighth-seeded team in NBA history to make the Finals, which was also the first to get there starting from the Play-In Tournament.

He arrived in Miami when the team had a suboptimal 32-27 record. Love converted 37.5 percent of his playoff 3-point attempts, and his passing added another edge to an offense that got cooking at the right time in 2023.

Had Love retired after that run, he would’ve had the rare honor of saying that every time his team made the playoffs, they went to the Finals. Instead, he stuck around, playing 86 more games in two years.

The Heat didn’t want to move him and preferred to include Haywood Highsmith in the three-team deal, but he wasn’t wanted. Love was well-liked in the locker room, too, and even played a role in pumping up Duncan Robinson’s confidence, and served as the go-between when things got hot for Jimmy Butler in Miami.

Love is currently on his fourth team in Utah, in his 18th year. Despite the team’s 5-9 record, it’s not like he’s living in NBA Siberia; Utah is a beautiful place and he’s still making a lot of money compared to regular folk.

He’s getting end-of-the-rotation minutes, but his impact is more than the numbers: he is the veteran who has seen it all, and is ready to spread his wisdom.

What does the end look like? Hanging his sneakers over a wire in Cleveland appeals to him, but sometimes things go unceremoniously. If this is it, he’s happy to be a part of the ride. And if the Cavaliers don’t want him for a post-playing gig, the Heat would probably find a place for him… If he wants to come back.

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