Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love said the team feels there was no malice behind coach John Beilein referring to them as "thugs" in a film session.

"I don't think there was any malice or intent to upset us. ... At the end of the day as a person, he's a good man and he misspoke. He owned up to it, came in this morning to apologize and now we've moved on," Love told reporters Thursday.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Beilein told his players they were no longer playing "like a bunch of thugs" as praise during a Wednesday film session. The 66-year-old, who has been coaching since 1975, said he meant to say "slugs" and reached out to players individually to apologize for his mistake.

Wojnarowski's report indicated players were "initially stunned and were increasingly disturbed" by the comment. 

"I used a word that I never intended to use. ... I spoke with players last night and this morning to apologize, and there was positive reinforcement," Beilein told reporters.

Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman was reportedly "gathering details" on the film session Wednesday.

While Love's public comments make it seem like the issue was handled swiftly, others on the team may feel differently. Love is white, and the word "thug" is typically used as a pejorative toward African Americans. No other player on the Cavs has issued a public statement as of publication, but Beilein has struggled throughout the season to reach players.

At the very least, this is another negative mark on a hire that's looking worse with each loss. 

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach John Beilein provided some clarity to a Wednesday film session with his team, insisting he meant to call players "slugs" and not "thugs."

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported the news, noting Beilein understood the racial connotations of what he said and reached out to players individually to explain he misspoke when he said they were no longer playing "like a bunch of thugs" during the session.

"I didn't realize that I had said the word 'thugs,' but my staff told me later I did and so I must have said it," Beilein said. "I meant to say slugs, as in slow moving. We weren't playing hard before, and now we were playing harder. I meant it as a compliment. That's what I was trying to say. I've already talked to eight of my players tonight, and they are telling me that they understand."

According to Wojnarowski, "a hush fell over the room" after the former University of Michigan coach said "thugs" during the session. "The Cavaliers players left the room initially stunned and were increasingly disturbed as they dispersed out of the meeting."

This is another unfortunate headline for Beilein, who is in his first season as a head coach in the NBA with an ugly 10-27 record.

It's not just the losing, as Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report cited Cavaliers sources who said veteran Kevin Love is increasingly frustrated with the team and his role. Beilein didn't mention the 2015-16 champion by name but did point to conversations he had with players about negative body language.

That was never more apparent than during Saturday's loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder when Love visibly threw his arms up at Collin Sexton continuing to dribble the ball despite a favorable matchup for the forward.

What's more, Shams Charania and Joe Vardon of The Athletic reported Love "had an emotional outburst directed toward general manager Koby Altman."

While Beilein explained he did not mean to use the word he did, it is another unfavorable story for a Cavaliers team that is playing out the string on a lost season.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are reportedly planning to showcase John Henson and Brandon Knight in hopes of trading them before February's deadline.

Joe Vardon of The Athletic reported the veterans will be regulars in the rotation due to injuries to Larry Nance Jr. and Kevin Porter Jr. Henson and Knight are on expiring contracts, and the Cavs hope giving them more time will convince teams they're worth a young asset.

Henson has appeared in just 16 games this season due to injuries, averaging 4.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks. He's a bit of a relic as a 4 who doesn't stretch the floor, but the 6'9", 219-pound UNC product can play center in smaller lineups and has switchability on the defensive end.

Knight's once-promising career has been derailed by injuries; the former No. 8 overall draft pick hasn't played more than 54 games in a season since 2014-15. The five-year, $70 million contract the Kentucky product signed with the Phoenix Suns in 2015, which has ranked as one of the worst in basketball since the ink dried, is due to expire this summer.

"I mean, it's not even a thought, it's a reality," Henson told Vardon. "Expiring deals, rebuilding team, young guys—it's part of the game. You do the best you can within what you can control, and that's me going out there and trying to play well within a team concept—and that's what I'm going to do."

The idea that Henson or Knight could be difference-makers for a contender seems a little far-fetched. They would likely draw interest on the buyout market if the Cavs decided to go that route, but neither has been productive recently enough for any contender to part with a draft pick.

Henson is the likelier of the two to generate interest for his rim-protecting ability, but Knight's value mostly comes from his $15.6 million expiring deal. If a team wants to rid themselves of a bad contract, it's possible they'd be willing to use one of them and throw in a draft-pick sweetener. However, given the lack of star power in this year's free-agent class, it's hard to find an obvious fit. 

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love apologized Tuesday for his recent actions after a shootaround and during a 121-106 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

According to Joe Vardon and Shams Charania of The Athletic, Love had an "emotional verbal outburst" toward general manager Koby Altman on Saturday in which he conveyed his "displeasure and disgust with the organization." Love then seemed to show visible frustration with guard Collin Sexton during Saturday's home game against OKC:

Per James Rapien of 92.3 The Fan, Love took responsibility for his actions and vowed to be better: "I f---ked up. I showed my actions on a national level. That was childish of me. ... I don't care if I'm here for five more months or five more weeks; I'm going to try to do my best by these guys and by the coaching staff."

According to Angel Gray of Fox Sports Ohio, Love also said: "I let my emotions get the best of me, and I can't do that. Starting on New Year's Eve, I wasn't acting like a 31-year-old but a 13-year-old. It's been tough, especially with [our] record, but I love my teammates and have to be better."

After the in-game situation involving Sexton, Love took to Instagram to say that he is still behind his teammates:

"A lot of non truths being shared...but I've learned that we live in a world where people remember accusations and not rebuttals," Love wrote.

"Let them paint whatever picture they want. Fact is—I love my teammates."

Per Vardon and Charania, Love has not gone public with a trade request, but he would prefer to be dealt to a contending team.

At 10-26, the Cavs are tied for the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference and third-worst in the NBA. Cleveland is clearly in the midst of a rebuild and is focused on utilizing younger players such as Sexton, Darius Garland, Cedi Osman and Kevin Porter Jr.

Cleveland traded veteran guard Jordan Clarkson to the Utah Jazz in December, and Love could be the next vet to go prior to the Feb. 6 deadline.

If a team does trade for Love, it will be taking on a contract that runs through the 2022-23 season and pays him an average of $30.1 million per year.

The 31-year-old Love is a five-time All-Star who helped the Cavs win their first and only championship four years ago, but he is now more of a complementary player than the go-to guy he was earlier in his career with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Love has solid numbers this season with per-game averages of 16.4 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists and is shooting 44.7 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from three-point range.

Because of his ability to play the stretch 4 role and still thrive as a rebounder, Love could be a great fit on most contenders, although finding a team willing and able to take on his contract may be a major challenge for the Cavs.

Kevin Love is looking for an exit from the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are struggling to move the five-time All-Star, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst.

Windhorst reported on The Hoop Collective podcast Monday that Love "absolutely, totally wants to get out of there" but that "there's not that much traction" regarding a possible trade.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported Dec. 6 that Cleveland was prepared to hear offers for Love.

The Athletic's Shams Charania and Joe Vardon reported Saturday that Love "had an emotional verbal outburst directed toward general manager Koby Altman" and "express[ed] his displeasure and disgust with the organization."

That frustration was evident in the Cavs' 121-106 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder that day. Love threw his arms up toward the end of the first half as Collin Sexton was dribbling near midcourt with the shot clock winding down:

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It appeared as though Sexton was the target of Love's anger, but head coach John Beilein took the blame.

"That was my mistake," Beilein said, per The Athletic's Kelsey Russo. "I was trying to get us to slow down and try to get not the last shot but close to the last shot. He had Chris Paul posted up; I didn't see it. It was on me. I called something else."

Love wrote a post on Instagram addressing what he said were "a lot of non truths being shared" and expressed support for his teammates.

Still, Love and the Cavs would probably benefit from parting ways.

Unless Cleveland is willing to get pennies on the dollar for Love, however, working out a deal could be difficult since all the recent drama has presumably hurt the team's leverage.

That's on top of the fact Love is owed $91.5 million over the next three years. The Cavs may have thought the long-term security offered by the deal would entice teams to trade for Love. Instead, it has had the opposite effect.

Considering the 2020 free-agent class is shaping up to be pretty thin, a playoff contender might grow desperate enough closer to the Feb. 6 trade deadline to meet Cleveland's asking price.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love posted on Instagram (h/t Marc Stein of the New York Times) that he loves his teammates following an on-court moment Saturday where he appeared visibly frustrated with guard Collin Sexton.

"A lot of non truths being shared...but I’ve learned that we live in a world where people remember accusations and not rebuttals," Love wrote.

"Let them paint whatever picture they want. Fact is—I love my teammates."

The play in question occurred near the end of the second quarter of a 121-106 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in which Love whipped a pass to Cedi Osman after Sexton spent much of the shot clock dribbling the ball near the half-court line:

The moment came after Joe Vardon and Shams Charania of The Athletic reported Love had an "emotional verbal outburst" against Cavs general manager Koby Altman on Saturday.

"Kevin Love had an emotional verbal outburst directed toward general manager Koby Altman following shootaround on Saturday, expressing his displeasure and disgust with the organization, league sources told The Athletic.

"Love was screaming in front of teammates and Cavs coaches and front-office members that there was 'no feel here,' league sources said."

Vardon and Charania also said that Love would prefer to be traded to a contender but has not made those intentions public.   

This isn't the first time Love has been visibly frustrated during a game recently; he was clearly upset during the team's 117-97 loss to the Toronto Raptors on New Year's Eve as well.

Vardon and Charania provided context.

"He was spotted by cameras slapping chairs on the Cavaliers bench away from the team huddle in the third quarter of the blowout. ... He asked a Cavs coach to take him out of the game so he could cool down. During the next timeout, when a coach asked what was wrong, Love said he didn't like how selfish the first unit was playing, sources said."

The Cavs fined Love $1,000 for the outburst.

With Saturday's loss, Love and the Cavaliers dropped to 10-25 in what appears to be the team's second straight season well out of the playoffs following LeBron James joining the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency.

Trading Love almost seems inevitable at this point given rumors that he wants out coupled with the team's state, and Stein reported on Jan. 1 that there is "fresh optimism" that "Cleveland may just find a workable Kevin Love deal before the buzzer."

The NBA's 2020 trade deadline is Feb. 6 at 3 p.m. ET.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have endured a frustrating season with a 10-24 record, and things reportedly boiled over Saturday with forward Kevin Love having an "emotional verbal outburst" at general manager Koby Altman.

Joe Vardon and Shams Charania of The Athletic provided the report:

"Kevin Love had an emotional verbal outburst directed toward general manager Koby Altman following shootaround on Saturday, expressing his displeasure and disgust with the organization, league sources told The Athletic.

"Love was screaming in front of teammates and Cavs coaches and front-office members that there was 'no feel here,' league sources said."

The Cavs fined Love $1,000 for an outburst on the team's bench during a 117-97 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday.

Per Vardon and Charania, Love "disagreed with the fine."

Altman and Love have reportedly had at least one disagreement before, per Vardon and Charania.

"At the end of last season, Love raised his voice toward the general manager and Altman threatened to fine him," Vardon and Charania wrote.

"Sources said they heard Love say: 'Go ahead. I have plenty of money.'"

Love is in the first season of a four-year, $120 million extension. The 31-year-old is averaging 16.6 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, marking the eighth time in his career he has posted a double-double.

The ex-UCLA star is still productive in his 12th NBA season, but he's likely best suited on a contending team rather than a rebuilding one.

Cleveland is enduring growing pains in the post-LeBron James era and has begun a youth movement centered around guards Collin Sexton and Darius Garland.

Per Vardon and Charania, Love would prefer to be traded to a contending team. He has not publicly asked for a trade.

The Cavs will next play Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The biggest holdup in Kevin Love finally getting out of Cleveland reportedly has nothing to do with how much he has to offer a contender. It's that he may cost a team more than it's willing to pay out.

Love has $90 million remaining on his contract after the 2019-20 season, and that's giving teams pause, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania. The Cavaliers are committed to finding a trade partner for Love before the Feb. 6 deadline, but that may be proving harder than anticipated.

Love has proved he's still reliable, averaging 16.6 points and 10.5 rebounds per game while shooting 37 percent from beyond the arc. Unfortunately for Cleveland, that hasn't translated into the type of success that merits hanging on to the 31-year-old big man. The Cavs are 10-24 and are more likely to contend for a top draft pick than the playoffs. 

Love has a cap hit of $31.3 million in each of the next two years before that drops to $28.9 million in his age-34 season. His contract could become more of an albatross if his play decreases.

Love is still a force in the paint and has proven capable of performing in large spots in the playoffs. For that type of experience, a team with a chance to capture a title in 2020 may be willing to take him for the right return.              

With just over one month remaining until the NBA trade deadline, there is a renewed sense that Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love will be dealt. 

Per Marc Stein of the New York Times, there is a feeling of "fresh optimism" that Cleveland can find a deal it likes for the five-time All-Star. 

Love has been one of the most likely players to be traded prior to the Feb. 6 trade deadline. The Cavaliers are still in the early stages of a rebuild and need as many long-term assets as they can get to expedite the process.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Dec. 6 that Cleveland was ready to take offers for Love with the hope of receiving "a requisite package of young assets and/or future draft picks."

Cleveland could be at the center of the NBA this trade season with Love and Tristan Thompson, who is in the final season of his contract. 

There are legitimate risks with Love, and interested teams need to decide if his production is worth betting on. He's 31 years old, has missed at least 23 games in each of the previous three seasons and is owed $91.5 million total over the next three seasons. 

Love has largely been injury-free in 2019-20, playing in 28 of Cleveland's 33 games. He's averaging a double-double with 16.5 points and 10.6 rebounds per contest with a 37.5 three-point percentage.

The Cleveland Cavaliers dealt Jordan Clarkson to the Utah Jazz for Dante Exum on Dec. 23, and there's been trade chatter that Cavs big men Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson could be on the move as well.

Regarding Thompson, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reported the following on Sunday:

"Because of Thompson's contract situation, his murky future and the many ways he can help a playoff contender, there's been plenty of chatter about him being dealt ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline, especially if the Cavs get a first-round pick in return."

Thompson, 28, has averaged 12.8 points and 10.1 rebounds for the Cavs this season. 

Fedor also wrote that dealing Thompson would be a "substantial mistake" and that he is "too valuable."

"He goes hard in practice, at walkthroughs, in pregame warmups. Recognizing that his young teammates are watching everything he does, at every moment, he always tries to set a positive example. He wears down opponents," Fedor wrote.

"His teammates hate playing against him in pick-up games. His menacing screens have become a staple on offense. He can pulverize small-ball lineups on the glass while willingly switching onto guards on the perimeter. He creates second-chance opportunities. He plays the right way."

Thompson was a key cog on the Cavaliers' four Eastern Conference champion teams from 2015 to 2018 and was the team's starting center on the 2016 NBA Finals-winning squad. He averaged 10.3 points and 10.1 rebounds per game in the championship series.

The Cavs selected Thompson fourth overall in the 2011 NBA draft, making him the team's longest-tenured player on a young team that's being built around a lottery-pick backcourt of Darius Garland and Collin Sexton.

He's done his part on the 2019-20 team en route to being averaging a double-double, but the 10-22 Cavs are 12th in the Eastern Conference and likely looking at their second straight season outside the playoff picture.

A complete rebuild featuring some of the Cavs' best veteran assets being dealt is a distinct possibility based on trade rumors. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski wrote on Dec. 23 that "the Cavaliers plan to start uprooting veterans on the roster to gather more draft picks and young assets."

Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today wrote that "Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson are veterans who could be on the move if the deal is right."

The NBA trade deadline is Feb. 6 at 3 p.m. ET. Until then, the Cavs will look to make a run at the top eight of the Eastern Conference playoff picture, with the 14-18 Orlando Magic sitting four games ahead.