The Golden State Warriors have a clear group of players that are expected to sign once Jonathan Kuminga’s free agency is settled, but perhaps another veteran name could be added to the list of potential additions to the roster.
Kevin Love’s arrival at the Utah Jazz earlier this offseason was always expected to be short-lived, with a rising expectation that the veteran big man will secure a buyout with the franchise before suiting up for a single game.
Warriors could get the chance to reunite Kevin Love and Jimmy Butler
Love of course is a recent former teammate of Jimmy Butler’s at the Miami Heat, having appeared in 91 games together which included an historic run to the NBA Finals as the eight-seed in 2023.
Love spoke in August following Butler’s trade to the Bay Area about their relationship on and off the court, with his words suggesting that the two would be open to a reunion if Golden State were interested in the 5x All-Star.
“It was certainly tough to see him go because we were close away from the floor. And on the floor, we meshed and played well together. I felt like I spaced the floor for him. I was always looking for him,” Love told the Athletic.
Would the Warriors actually be interested though? There’s certainly been times in the past where Love has been seen as an ideal target for the franchise, largely because his floor-spacing and passing ability would be an excellent fit within the Golden State offense.
Age and health concerns have now caught up to Love in recent years, suggesting the Warriors could easily turn their eye away from turning a long-time foe into a friend. The 37-year-old only appeared in 23 games for the Heat last season, having spent time away from the franchise to deal with personal matters.
When he was on the floor, Love certainly didn’t resemble the sort of player that had once made him one of the best big men in the league. He averaged 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds in 10.9 minutes per game, shooting 35.7% from the floor and 35.8% from 3-point range.
Add in the fact that Golden State are expected to sign Al Horford in free agency, and it’s unlikely that they’ll also show interest in Love if/when he becomes available. Perhaps they could argue that Love and Horford (or Quinten Post) could play minutes together given they’re skillsets, but it’s still hard to see him earning a consistent rotation role for Steve Kerr.
Stranger things have happened though and it’s still very much worth monitoring from a Warrior perspective, particularly once Love’s buyout with the Jazz is finalized.
