Could the Sixers land Love? Making sense of the latest rumors
After an overwhelming period of trading, the Philadelphia 76ers’ intentions in the buyout market were being closely watched. With the role of the Sixers’ backup center still unclear and an open roster spot available, there was still work to be done for Daryl Morey.
That question was quickly answered when the Sixers signed Dewayne Dedmon to a minimum contract following his release from the Miami Heat. They may not go ahead, however, as recent reports linked the Sixers to another great veteran in Kevin Love.
Why Love for the Sixers Makes Sense
Standing at 6ft 8in and a career 37.3 percent three-pointer, Love is the prototypical stretch forward the Sixers have lacked throughout Joel Embiid’s career. A seasoned veteran with a championship ring on his finger, he’s content to take a backseat at this point in his roleplaying career.
The addition of Love would add interesting flexibility to the squad as he could theoretically play alongside Embiid or as a big man with the bench unit. While he fell out of the youthful Cavaliers rotation, just last season Love averaged 13.6 points and 7.2 rebounds while averaging 39.2% on three-point attempts in his 22.5 minutes per game.
The rebound numbers are particularly appealing as they increase the likelihood that he can play center in non-Embiid lineups. Though several years from his prime, this is the same player who once led the NBA in rebounds per game.
As the Sixers’ options currently stand, Love would be a nice upgrade over Dedmon, Paul Reed and Montrezl Harrell. Playing him on a five-out offense in the non-Embiid minutes could give the Sixers an ideal margin that James Harden and Tyrese Maxey could capitalize on.
Why Love for the Sixers Makes No Sense
Money speaks and the Sixers have little say. All Philadelphia can offer is a prorated minimum veteran deal worth about $600,000. They also don’t have an open roster slot after signing Dedmon, so they would have to create that one before landing love would be a possibility.
Given the strong ownership focus to get under the tax, swallowing money doesn’t seem very likely. This is especially true as players like Danuel House Jr. and Montrezl Harrell still have a player option with Furkan Korkmaz on the books for next season, ruling out the clearest avenues of creating a roster spot with no financial repercussions.
In contrast, the Heat have $3.2 million left of their mid-level exception and are $4.8 million under tax. They also have a much clearer role for Love as there is a real chance he will go straight into the starting lineup. While Philadelphia could benefit from him as a rotation figure, there’s still no guarantee of minutes in Doc Rivers’ rotations.
It remains to be seen how Rivers chooses to stagger Embiid and Harden given the duo have spent the majority of their minutes on the ground together this season. However, much of the thinking for the big backup position has been focused on how they’ll play with Harden, which one could argue is the main reason Harrell is in Philadelphia.
Harden is adept at manipulating opponents while picking and rolling, but this isn’t considered one of Love’s strongest areas of the game. While his rebounds set him apart, it should also be noted that Georges Niang is more efficient and willing when going past the three-point arc, which needs to be weighed when considering the potential stretch minutes up front.
Careful thought should also be given to why Love is being exempted from the cavalier list. Cleveland sits 4th in the East with a 38-23 record and is a tenuous contender for an Eastern Conference run. This is a far cry from a situation where a struggling team would allow a veteran to join a competitor, as the Cavaliers have a better post-season chance than the Heat as things stand.
In the 41 games he played for the Cavaliers, Love averaged 8.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in his 20.0 minutes per game. He hasn’t seen the pitch since January 24 and hasn’t gotten any minutes of play in the last 12 games. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are no slouches to bench for, but it should raise some eyebrows and it can’t be ruled out that he just hasn’t got anything left in the tank. While singing great men has become a topic for the Sixers past their prime, they already have many of them on their roster.
Will Love Land With Sixers?
It’s fascinating that Love at least meets up with the Sixers to listen to them. A lot of that decision will have to do with what Love’s priorities are at this point in his career. He could make an impression with the Sixers, and they’re one of a small group of real contenders in the league.
However, he would also need to be open to taking less money and playing a smaller role than he would in Miami. It would take some magic from Daryl Morey to recruit Love and manipulate the roster to make room for the veteran. This would be a really nice addition at this point in the season if the Sixers make it, but fans shouldn’t buy a Sixers jersey with his name on it just yet.