The Cleveland Cavaliers cemented their frontcourt of the future this offseason. They used the third pick in the 2021 NBA Draft on USC center, Evan Mobley. In addition, they also locked up restricted free agent Jarrett Allen to a five-year deal.
Mobley and Allen should be able to coexist in the frontcourt given their skillsets. Mobley has shown an ability to play anywhere on the court, being compared to Anthony Davis on defense and Chris Bosh on offense. Allen is your quintessential rim-running center who is already an elite rebounder and shot-blocker.
With those two in place, in addition to Larry Nance Jr. and Mfiondu Kabengele, the Cavaliers’ frontcourt is crowded. So, where does that leave veteran Kevin Love?
Once LeBron James departed Cleveland a second time, in this instance taking his talents to the Los Angeles Lakers, Love had no fit with the team. Every team that James leaves behind starts a rebuild, so why the Cavaliers re-signed Love to a four-year deal worth more than $120 million the year after James left is anyone’s guess.
With little use for an almost 33-year old that has battled injuries, Cleveland could look to move on from Love. Alas, that is easier said than done.
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Not many teams have the cap space to absorb a contract of that size into their salary cap. The teams willing to do that are likely even fewer. One option could be a buyout, which we have seen more frequently on long-term deals in recent years.
If Love does secure a buyout, there will be plenty of teams lining up for his services. Here are three teams to keep an eye on should the former UCLA product be bought out.
