NBA News: Kevin Love Wants ‘Long-Term’ Stay With Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James

Good news for Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James fans and bad news for the rest of the league especially those who are hoping to see Kevin Love explore free agency when his contract expires after this season. Love, who was the centre of the huge offseason trade between the Cavaliers and previous team Minnesota Timberwolves, has recently stated that he’s in Cleveland for the foreseeable future, despite the early struggles of the powerhouse NBA squad in Ohio.

“Whether we lose two or three games in a row, or there’s a game where my statistical output isn’t necessarily what it should be, people are always going to talk,” Love said via CBS Sports underscoring the fact that the early struggles won’t affect his decision-making when the time he becomes a free agent. “Since I was traded to Cleveland this summer, I’ve said since Day 1 that I’m a Cleveland Cavalier long term and I plan for it to be that way. If I could end all the speculation now, I would. But people are going to continue to talk no matter what.”

Love, who averages 17.9 points— his lowest since his first two years in the league— and 9.5 rebounds— his lowest since his rookie year— in 16 games so far for the Cavaliers, has a player option for the 2015-2016 NBA season. This means that the rangy big man has the choice to declare himself a free agent after 2014-2015 or stay with Cleveland for a year or even sign an extension with the team.

Even before the Love-to-Cleveland trade happened, there were already rumours that Love was interested in a long-term commitment with the Ohio franchise as an extended pairing with superstar LeBron James has intrigued the former Timberwolves franchise player. Now that he’s in Cleveland, it appears those rumours are true after all.

Cleveland is off to a slow start this season with a 9-7 win-loss record so far. However, with Love, James and another star in Kyrie Irving they are starting to perform consistently in the Cavs’ most recent games. The Cavaliers are currently on a four-game winning streak with an upcoming three-game road trip against the New York Knicks, Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn Nets.