By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
After a busy trade deadline, former NBA champion and veteran power forward Kevin Love will officially reinforce the Miami Heat after clearing his waivers last February 21, 2023.
Love already flew to Miami for the contract signing and will immediately join his first practice session with the Heat in preparation for their big game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday.
The deal was made possible when the Cleveland Cavaliers figured in a buyout with the stretch forward just before the NBA All-Star break.
During that stretch, the 15-year big man was already inactive in the Cavaliers’ roster and missed the team’s final 12 games before the All-Star weekend kicked off.
Love is expected to bring in veteran leadership and more paint presence as Miami goes for a tough final run to enter the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
The Heat struggled in their first 59 games and is currently sitting at the no. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference with a 32-27 win-loss record and will need to clinch more victories to improve their rank and avoid the play-in tournament for a sure spot in the post-season.
Last NBA playoffs, the Heat fell short of punching a grand finals ticket when they got ousted by the Boston Celtics in a grueling seven-game series.
Despite the inconsistent play of guards Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro who were nursing respective injuries, the Heat still managed to extend the series until Game 7 courtesy of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo’s superb performances.
Now with Love fortifying the frontcourt alongside Adebayo, Miami will have more post threats including Butler who likes to back down smaller defenders in the shaded lane.
“He’s smart, he stretches the floor, and you can learn from guy like that, having a guy like that in your corner. Him and UD, two different walks of life, but now they’re kind of going down the same road. Having guys like that, it’ll help me tremendously. He’s an all-around great person,” said Adebayo.
