Even though free agency has slowed to a crawl in the NBA, there are still moves to be made as teams like the Los Angeles Lakers look to fill up their roster.
The Lakers surprisingly have three open roster spots left to hand out and it looks like they will be leaning toward using them on veteran players. Governor Jeanie Buss explained that the team targeted veterans because of their cap situation but it also made sense as older players tend to be more complacent with smaller roles.
Even though Los Angeles has been linked to several veteran free agents available on the market, nothing has seemed to pick up steam. One reason is they could be waiting for certain players to get bought out and one interesting name that has picked up traction is Kevin Love.
Love’s time with the Cleveland Cavaliers seemed to be coming to an end after they acquiring Lauri Markkanen, making their front court even more crowded. Many thought he would seek a buyout to join a contender like the Lakers, but according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, he has no interest in that:
Five-time All-Star forward Kevin Love has no interest in negotiating a buyout on the two years and $60 million left on his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers, his agent, Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports, told ESPN on Saturday.
“There have been no talks with Cleveland on a buyout, nor is there any interest from Kevin in doing a buyout,” Schwartz told ESPN.
The Cavaliers have periodically explored trading Love — a scenario he supports — but have been unable to find a deal they’re willing to execute, sources said.
It will be interesting to see what playing time there is for Love in Cleveland this season after they also drafted a big man in Evan Mobley third overall.
It’s possible that he still changes his mind and does get bought out as it could also be a negotiating tactic to not have to give back the remaining money on his contract.
If he does eventually get bought out, the Lakers make too much sense as a destination given his ties to the players there. Love won his lone NBA Championship alongside LeBron James, while he also has experience playing next to Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis dating back to their time together on Team USA and UCLA in Westbrook’s case.
At this point in his career, Love is not the same impact player but could give Los Angeles solid minutes if he ever does join them.
DeAndre Jordan a potential buyout target for Lakers
Another name circulating in the rumor mill is DeAndre Jordan. A potential buyout for Jordan could be on the horizon and it seems that the Lakers have some reported interest in the big man if he becomes available.
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