NBA Free Agency: 5-Time All-Star Reportedly Declining Player Option

General NBA free agency is almost upon us, with everything opening tomorrow at 6 p.m. ET. Teams can then negotiate with free agents and come to terms with players on deals this summer. But first, the contract option deadlines occurred and have seen some interesting outcomes.

Along those lines, Miami Heat power forward/center Kevin Love has declined his $4 million player option for next season, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Wojnarowski notes that the two sides may look to renegotiate a new deal. Love has been with the Heat since joining them in the middle of the 2022-23 season.

The five-time All-Star has found a home in South Beach to play out his final years in the NBA. He has accomplished more than many around the league have and is seen as a likely future Hall of Famer.

Love has won a title in his career, during the 2016 season as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He helped lead Miami to the NBA Finals a year ago but they fell short, losing in five games to the Denver Nuggets. All told, he has appeared in five NBA Finals with the Cavaliers and Heat.

While he isn’t the same player that he once was, the 35-year-old can still provide some value to the Heat. If anything, he can play the Udonis Haslem role of being a veteran mentor for the younger players on the team. In 55 games last season, Love averaged 8.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. He was limited to just 16.8 minutes per game but found different ways to contribute when given a chance on the floor.

Miami values his ability to come into games and give them quality minutes. He shot 34.4 percent from beyond the three-point line last season, helping the Heat space the floor. Love likely doesn’t have many years left to play in the NBA, so he may value comfort at this point. He has been happy so far in Miami so the pairing is expected to continue.

If the two sides aren’t able to come to an agreement for some reason, there will be plenty of teams that could use the services of Love. Some that come to mind are the Los Angeles Lakers (where he could join former Cavaliers teammate LeBron James), Dallas Mavericks (a team his other former future Hall of Famer Cleveland colleague, Kyrie Irving, just helped reach the 2024 NBA Finals), and Milwaukee Bucks. But it feels like he will settle into his role with the Heat to finish out his NBA career.

Love has earned the right to decide what is best for himself and his family. Miami will likely work with him on a new deal that is right for both sides. The Heat have some unfinished business to attend to and Love may be able to play a big role in that going forward.