Kevin Love is adoringly remembered in Ohio as a vital member of the legendary Cleveland Cavaliers who made a historic 3-1 comeback in the 2016 NBA Finals. Nearly a decade later, the franchise legend’s career is definitely nearing the end of a long championship run.
Love began his professional career with the Minnesota Timberwolves, where the former top-five pick quickly established himself as a double-double machine. That sparked interest from a Cavaliers team that hoped to properly equip LeBron James with a strong supporting cast for his second stint in Cleveland.
One Andrew Wiggins-focused trade package later and James had himself a big three with himself, Love and Kyrie Irving. The power forward ended up being the last man standing of the trio, remaining with the Cavaliers until being bought out in 2022-23 and signing with the Miami Heat.
Miami dealt Love to the Utah Jazz during the 2025 offseason. Many also expected a buyout, but nothing has materialized yet. So far, love has appeared sparingly in Jazz games. When playing time came, the veteran big looked like someone in his 18th season.
Kevin Love’s career is coming to an end
Love’s remaining value as a player, aside from his veteran leadership, lies in his scoring and ability to spread the floor. What was considered the strongest part of his aging game is also starting to give way. Efficiency on the court and beyond the arc has not been there so far in 2025-26.
This is a notable drop for someone who has enjoyed seasons of 3-point shooting close to, or even better than, 40 percent. Love has two seasons connecting above this clip in his long career.
In 2010-11, the former Timberwolves big man shot 41.7 percent on 2.9 attempts per game. In 2017-18 for Cleveland, Love was shooting 41.5 percent from 3-point range on 5.6 attempts per game.
For most of his 30s, the five-time All-Star had always shot in the mid-30s, at minimum, on his triples. 2022-23 was the outlier, when Love dipped slightly to 33.4% on the season.
If the Jazz ultimately agree to let the veteran explore his options, it may be the last opportunity in Love’s career to chase a ring. Given his current production, it’s fair to estimate that he’ll hang it up at the end of the season.
