Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love reiterated that he will not leave the Cavs next summer and announced that he is not planning to become a free agent after the 2014-15 NBA season.
Love, who is averaging 17.9 points and 10.5 rebounds this season, could hit free agency in the offseason because he owns a player option for the 2015-16 NBA season.
While most NBA executives and analysts previously predicted that Love will opt out of his deal, the All-Star power forward insisted that he plans to exercise his $16.7 million player option despite their disappointing start this season.
The Cavaliers were considered as one of the strongest favorites to win the title this season, but they are just in sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings with a measly 19-19 record.
"I think that we will figure it out here, so I don't plan on opting out or any of that," Love told Northeast Ohio Media Group. "I plan on being here. As far as leaving my options open, I mean sure, it's always there. At the end of the day, it's always good to have something but no, I plan on being here."
Love's numbers are down this season after averaging 26.1 points and 12.5 rebounds in Minnesota last year, but the 26-year-old forward insisted that his averages will not be a factor when he makes his free agency decision.
The former UCLA standout insisted that he is still adjusting to his role in Cleveland as he is playing alongside fellow superstars LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. In six games this month where James did not play, Love actually produced well - 24.0 points on 48.6 percent shooting from the field to go along with 12.3 rebounds.
"I've said all along that I plan on being a Cavalier long-term," Love said. "As we continue to evolve, my role will continue to evolve. It's still a process where I'm figuring it out."
Exercising his option for next season will allow Love to become a free agent in the summer of 2016. It could be a wise financial move for the seven-year veteran because the salary cap could increase significantly when the new NBA television deal takes into effect before the 2016-17 NBA season.
Talks about Love's future intensified again this week after the Cavaliers took their fifth straight defeat and when coach David Blatt said that the Santa Monica, California native "is not a max player."
The first-year coach clarified his statement, saying that he did not mean to question Love's production and that he was just merely talking about his starting forward's contract.
"I think my comment was either misunderstood or misconstrued," Blatt told reporters on Monday. "I was simply saying that with our team, he does not have a max contract because we're not allowed to talk to him about anything until after this season is over. That was really where I was going with that."
