Longtime NBA big man Kevin Love will be playing his 16th season in the league. Love has agreed to a two-year deal to stay with the Heat, sources told Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer.
Love will join the Heat via the NBA’s non-Bird exception and has a player option in year two of the deal.
Love, 34, will continue to pursue another NBA championship after falling short with the Miami Heat last season. After joining the Heat in February, Love averaged 7.7 points and 5.7 rebounds in 21 regular season games with the team. He recorded similar numbers during the team’s run to the NBA Finals.
Before joining the Heat, Love found himself in a difficult situation with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Despite years of trade talks or rumors that the team would buy out his contract, Love started the 2022-23 NBA season in Cleveland. He only started three games with the team before being taken out of rotation, a sign he was close to leaving.
After buying out his contract, Love hit the free agent market in search of another ring. He chose to sign with the Heat, where he proved he could still be an effective player.
Although things ended in disappointment with Cleveland, Love built a strong legacy with the team. In eight and a half seasons with the Cavaliers, Love averaged 15.3 points and 9 rebounds per game. He made the All-Star team twice and was instrumental in the team’s victory in the 2015-16 NBA season.
Along with averaging 14.7 points in the team’s championship run, Love was responsible for one of the greatest defensive saves in Finals history.
Prior to joining the Cavaliers, Love spent the first six years of his career with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The team drafted Love with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft. Love showed promise just before becoming a star with the Timberwolves. He was a three-time All-Star with Minnesota.