AP Source: Love, Cavs complete contract termination

Kevin Love was the last tie for Cleveland’s championship team in 2016. Now he’ll be looking elsewhere for another title.

A five-time All-Star and Cavs completes a buyout with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Love is considering signing with the Miami Heat, two people familiar with the situation confirmed on Saturday.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because Love, who has been with Cleveland since 2014, still needs to claim his rights before signing with another team.

Other teams are expected to look for Love, who has a salary of $31.3 million this season before the decision is finalized, one of the people told the Associated Press.

“I hope he decides to raise his shot to 305 to finish the season on a positive note,” said Heat guard Tyler Hero, referring to the Miami area code.

Unhappy at being left out of Cleveland’s rotation, the 34-year-old asked this week to be left out. He hadn’t played the last 12 games with Cleveland before the All-Star break, and his representatives went to the Cleveland club and asked to buy out the contract.

Love believes he can still play at a high level and his experience in the post-season makes him an attractive player to the contenders.

“He knows how to win,” said Miami midfielder Bam Adebayo. “He was in those fights.”

Love’s nine seasons with Cleveland saw his ups and downs, but he will be remembered for his role in helping the Cleveland team come from a 3-1 deficit to the shocking Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals seven years ago. And that ended with a 52-year drought titled the city.

This season he averaged a career low of 8.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 20 minutes per game. But in 15 NBA seasons with Cleveland and the Minnesota Love, he’s averaged 17.2 points and 10.5 boards. He also has a 37% 3-point average and has helped the United States win gold medals at the Olympic Games and the FIBA ​​World Cup.

Love was in the final year of a four-season, $120 million contract extension in 2018.

Miami has created the flexibility to have at least one player in that position by trading Dewayne Desmond to San Antonio this month for cash considerations.

Cleveland entered its fourth weekend in the Eastern Conference with a 38-23 record. Miami is seventh in the East with a 32-27 mark, half a game behind New York (6).