Golden State Warriors’ interest in Kevin Love makes sense

The Golden State Warriors are kicking into overdrive when it comes to finding additional talent this summer. In the event Kevin Love is bought out by the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Dubs are expected to put on a ‘full-court press‘ to sign him.

At first glance, this might come as a shock to Warriors fans. Not because Love is a longtime rival whose infamous stop on Stephen Curry helped rob the franchise of a championship in 2016 — but because it has been more than three years since Love was an actual contributor on a winning team.

Can Love still have an impact on a championship-contending team? Does it really make sense to go after a guy who is years removed from his prime? The short answer is: Yes. The longer answer, however, deals with a little more nuance. But, the fact remains, Golden State’s interest is logical.

Though it may seem puzzling, the Golden State Warriors have every reason to be interested in pursuing Kevin Love this summer.

Firstly, Love’s experience in the NBA is something of value to the Warriors. He’d be just the seventh player on the roster with any form of playoff experience and the only player aside from Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Jordan Bell and Kevon Looney with a championship. This experience alone is a reason he was selected to play on the 2021 USA Olympic Team and the main factor in why the Dubs are so interested in Love.

More importantly, Love addresses one of their biggest issues in the frontcourt — a lack of shooting. Green’s consistency from the 3-point line has plummetted while James Wiseman is far from being a knockdown shooter just yet. Having a forward who can stretch the floor would work wonders for this team’s spacing.

It doesn’t take a master analyst to see that Love has been mailing it in since LeBron James left Cleveland. Even with his lackluster effort, Love has posted 16.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists on roughly 37 percent 3-point shooting. He’s carved out a specialty role in the NBA as a stretch big who can rebound at a high rate.

Lastly, Love would likely be available for a cheap price if he secures a buy-out from Cleveland. I don’t expect any team to offer a massive contract and the Warriors’ $5.7 MLE should be enough to get the job done.

All of these factors lend us to believe the Warriors have good reason to be pursuing Love. He’s a talented vet with a skill-set that makes him perfect for the Dubs’ system.