After the Miami Heat dealt Kevin Love to the Utah Jazz as part of a three-team trade in July, the five-time All-Star wing has been expected to hit the open market through a contract buyout.
But things aren’t moving as quickly as some might think.
NBA insider Marc Stein reported Monday that the Jazz and Love “have not yet moved into serious buyout discussions despite reports to the contrary.”
Love, now 37, isn’t interested in just any team at this stage of his career.
“It is widely known in league circles that Love is determined to play for a playoff contender,” Stein added.
This makes perfect sense. After 17 seasons in the league, the veteran forward wants another shot at winning.
A contract buyout would make Love an unrestricted free agent, free to sign with any team he chooses.
When the buyout finally happens, Love apparently has his sights set on the bright lights of major markets. Sources indicate he’s interested in joining a team in either New York or Los Angeles.
“So with Kevin Love, to my understanding, he really only wants to be in the big glamour markets,” NBA insider Jake Fischer said during a Bleacher Report live stream.
That narrows his options to the Clippers, Knicks, Lakers, and Nets.
But only the first three are actual playoff contenders right now.
“I do think it would mostly be something along the lines of Kevin Love going to a New York or a Los Angeles type of situation. So, we’ll see if that can materialize for him,” Fischer added.
The slow pace of buyout talks isn’t unusual in today’s NBA.
Fischer pointed out that many players this summer waited until they had their next team lined up before finalizing buyout agreements.
We saw this pattern with Bradley Beal, who agreed to a buyout with the Phoenix Suns in July before joining the Clippers on a two-year, $11 million deal with a player option.
Love came to Utah as part of a complex trade that sent forward John Collins to the Clippers and Norman Powell to the Heat. The Jazz also received Kyle Anderson and a second-round pick in the deal.
Love’s production has dropped significantly in recent years. In 23 games with Miami last season, he averaged just 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds in under 11 minutes per game.
His shooting percentages weren’t great either – 35.7% from the field and 35.8% from three-point range.
According to Spotrac, Love is set to make $4.2 million in the 2025-26 season, the final year of his current contract.
For a player entering his 18th NBA season, finding the right situation might be more important than maximizing his remaining salary. A championship contender in a major market seems to be exactly what Love is looking for to potentially cap off his career.
