National Basketball Association

Kevin Love will (allegedly) meet with Lakers

Published Jul. 1, 2015 12:14 p.m. ET

foxsports

by Will Gibson

You’d be well-served to read Kyle Welch’s Consumer’s Guide to NBA Free Agency Rumor Madness before reading this one: Kevin Love will reportedly meet with the Los Angeles Lakers later this week.

This report comes from ESPN’s Chris Broussard, and as of press time has not been confirmed by any other source. Love played at UCLA and lives in Los Angeles in the offseason, so this meeting — should it come to fruition — may be a function of geographic convenience and due diligence as much as anything.

Love has said several times that he intends to re-sign with the Cavs. The team can offer him a five-year max deal worth about $110 million, though it is unclear if Love would prefer that to a shorter-term deal that would allow him to re-sign at a larger figure as the NBA salary cap goes up, like the one LeBron James is expected to sign. Love dealt with injuries for much of the 2014-15 season, and the security offered with a five-year deal may be more attractive than the high-risk, high-reward route of signing a one- or two-year contract.

It would seem that Cleveland offers Love the best chance of playing on a title contender, at least as long as LeBron has two legs and two arms. Meanwhile, the Lakers’ pitch would be predicated on sun and stars, per Broussard:

The Lakers’ pitch to top-shelf free agents, including Love, will focus on the chance to be a star on the league’s glamour team, the opportunity for global exposure, and the fact that the Lakers have enough cap room going forward to add stars and complementary talent next summer, one source said.

Meanwhile, the Pelicans gave Anthony Davis an extension, the Spurs are primed to sign LaMarcus Aldridge, Marc Gasol is likely to stay in Memphis, and the Warriors will bring most everyone back. Love could shock us all and head to the Western Conference. Whether or not that’d be wise is a different story altogether.

More from Waiting For Next Year: