The Kevin Love drama is over, and it wasn't much of a show. Throughout the season Love insisted that he would return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he lived up to his word on the first day of free agency. Love will reportedly remain a Cavalier and sign a five-year, $110 million max contract.
The question now is whether or not Cleveland should have paid up so much to retain him.
Love's status as a Top 10, or even Top 5 player was difficult to question in Minnesota even though he consistently failed to reach the playoffs. In Cleveland, Love's usage rate dropped significantly, and he became mostly a spot-up shooter hanging around the 3-point line.
Last season 41 percent of Love's attempts came from beyond the arc; the previous season it was 35 percent. He also took eight fewer shots per game than he did two years ago. Love lost 10 points on his scoring average, and pulled down three fewer boards. Some of that had to do with lingering back issues, but that in itself is a red flag.
Rumor has it that Tristan Thompson is nearing an $80 million deal, leaving Cleveland very little room to work with to improve the supporting cast once these deals become official. They await deal for LeBron James-who is expected to re-sign-but he will likely command a boat load of cash in a shorter-term deal with an opt out clause so he can repeat the process as the salary cap expands.
Against the Golden State Warriors in the Finals, Cleveland's lack of depth was a downfall. Without Love and Kyrie Irving thanks to injuries, the Warriors ran them out of the gym. Role players like Matthew Dellavedova and Iman Shumpert became important cogs in the offense, and they were in over their heads. These deals almost ensure that will continue.
Further, defense kept Cleveland in those games vs. the Warriors. While their offense would have received a big boost from having Irving and Love in action, their defense would have suffered tremendously. As constructed, the Cavs when healthy are a team that will be able to score in bunches but struggle to defend. They will also have to better utilize Love to justify his deal.
Depth remains an issue, and it's fair to wonder if the Cavaliers, who won two more playoff rounds in the postseason after Love got hurt, weren't better off bolstering the rest of their roster and letting Love walk.
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