INDIANAPOLIS: Kevin Love has thought about that time he passed on the opportunity to earn an extra $40 million, but he doesn’t regret his choices.
When Love signed a five-year contract with the Cavaliers before last season, he was well-versed in the league’s economics and how the salary cap was poised to explode. Yet he still chose to sign a five-year deal that could be worth $110 million, rather than sign a one-year contract with a one-year player option that would’ve set him up to sign a $150 million deal before this season.
“I have thought about it, of course. But I don’t regret anything,” Love said. “Everybody in my position did the same thing when you look at [LaMarcus] Aldridge, DeAndre [Jordan] and Marc Gasol. Players like that who are max players went ahead and signed [long term].”
Love’s free agent class came one year before the start of the new collective-bargaining agreement, leaving them with the excruciating decision of whether to lock into the long-term contract or risk injury with a one-year deal. Love had to deal with questions about his contract for nearly three years between Minnesota and Cleveland. He was still rehabbing from shoulder surgery when he signed his long-term deal with the Cavs.
Love is earning $21.2 million this season in the second year of his deal, while guys like Mike Conley and DeMar DeRozan are making $26.5 million after cashing in on the salary cap spike last summer.
“When it’s your time [to sign], it’s your time. You’ve got to figure it out,” Love said. “Maybe the shoulder had something to do with it, but you’ve got to think about risk adversity. How much risk do you want to take? Knowing I could be with this team, locking in for five years, it was an easy choice.”
Love can opt out of his deal after four years. He’ll be 30 years old by then and the cap is showing no signs of slowing. Love could sign another max deal during the summer of 2019 and who knows how high the cap will be by then.
“The cap continues to go up,” Love said. “Hopefully, I’ll continue to stay healthy, continue to play at a high level and continue to win. I don’t regret it at all.”
Still slumping
In addition to LeBron James and J.R. Smith, Mike Dunleavy got the night off Wednesday to rest. It could’ve been just as much to clear his mind. Dunleavy continues to scuffle, shooting 29 percent from 3-point range (8-of-26) and 34 percent overall. Dunleavy began the season a career 38-percent shooter from deep.
“It doesn’t feel like it’s even close right now or the last couple games,” Dunleavy said of his shot. “But it all goes back to mechanics. You can put a lot of reasons on why you’re not doing something well, but to me it starts with mechanics. You get that shirt up, you see what you’re doing wrong, you fix it and you go forward.”
Dribbles
James is seven assists away from passing Guy Rodges (6,917) for 17th on the all-time list. … Channing Frye became the first Cavs player to make at least five 3-pointers in consecutive games since Dan Majerle in April 1996.
Jason Lloyd can be reached at jlloyd@thebeaconjournal.com.