Following his buyout agreement with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday, it appears Kevin Love will be moving south, as ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the veteran big man plans to sign with the Miami Heat after clearing waivers.
After clearing waivers, Kevin Love plans to sign with the Miami Heat, his agent Jeff Schwartz of @Excelbasketball tells ESPN. pic.twitter.com/c1Ff4tLfKP
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 19, 2023
Love's addition will be welcome in South Beach, as the Heat rank 27th in the NBA in rebounding average (41.4) and defensive-rebounding average (31.3). Crashing the glass is a staple of the 34-year-old's game, as he has averaged 10.5 boards per contest over his entire career.
Pending on the status of a thumb injury that hampered him before being booted from the Cavs' rotation, Love should be able to provide floor-spacing and a steady hand from long distance as a shooter too. Miami's been searching for a way to sustain production with Bam Adebayo resting, so it wouldn't be surprising to see Love incorporated quickly into Erik Spoelstra's system.