Heat sign Kevin Love to one-year, $3.1M deal; roster at 15 for first time this season
The Miami Heat formally announced the signings Monday of veteran power forward Kevin Love and veteran center Cody Zeller.
Love became available on the NBA buyout market after he was released Saturday by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He then cleared waivers Monday. With Love due $28.9 million this season, no team had the salary-cap wherewithal to submit a waiver claim, making him a free agent.
Zeller is returning to the NBA after sitting out the season to this point after recovering from a leg injury suffered last season while with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Love, who has been assigned No. 42, was signed to the remaining $3.1 million the Heat had from their biannual exception. The agreement means the Heat cannot put their biannual exception into play in 2023 NBA free agency. Love wore No. 42 both at UCLA and with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Zeller, who will wear No. 44, reached agreement for a prorated share of the NBA veteran minimum.
Both Love and Zeller will become free agents July 1.
The Heat gained the roster space and room below the NBA’s punitive luxury tax to add Love and Zeller by trading veteran center Dewayne Dedmon to the San Antonio Spurs ahead of the Feb. 9 NBA trading deadline.
In order to add Love and Zeller, the Heat allowed the 10-day contract of undrafted rookie guard Jamaree Bouyea to expire. Bouyea, who had been playing with the Heat’s G League team, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, is now available to be signed by any NBA team.
With the additions of Love and Zeller, the Heat for the first time this season are carrying the NBA maximum of 15 players under standard contract, when including Love, Zeller, Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, Udonis Haslem, Tyler Herro, Haywood Highsmith, Nikola Jovic, Kyle Lowry, Caleb Martin, Victor Oladipo, Duncan Robinson, Max Strus, Gabe Vincent and Omer Yurtseven.
Because of their previous position within $200,000 of the tax line before the Dedmon trade, the Heat had been going with one fewer player than the league limit.
The Heat also have undrafted rookie center Orlando Robinson and undrafted rookie forward Jamal Cain under two-way contracts. Players under two-way contract after not eligible for playoff rosters, which are capped at the 15 players under standard contract.
With players on two-way contracts limited to 50 days on NBA active lists, Robinson is down to four such remaining NBA days, with the Heat having 23 games remaining in the regular season. Cain has 22 NBA days remaining on his two-way contract.
Once a player on a two-way deal reaches his NBA maximum on the active list, he can continue to play for a team’s G League affiliate or remain with a team for practices. To continue NBA eligibility in such a case, he otherwise would have to be shifted to a standard contract in place of one of the 15 already under such a guaranteed deal.
Adebayo at All-Star
While Adebayo had his moments during Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game, it was mostly a low-key appearance Sunday night in Utah for the Heat center.
Selected by Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo for the team Antetokounmpo captained, Adebayo played as the game’s first substitute, when Antetokounmpo subbed himself out 20 seconds into the game on the Utah Jazz’s home court.
Antetokounmpo, who sustained a wrist injury prior to the All-Star break, had drafted Adebayo 11th out of the 14 reserves in the All-Star pool, with Antetokounmpo and rival All-Star captain LeBron James drafting their teams just prior to the game.
As for his highlights in the game won by his team, Adebayo had a moment where he inbounded the ball off the back of Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic. Jokic got immediate retribution by stealing the ball back from Adebayo on the ensuing possession.
Both of Adebayo’s baskets came on dunks, with defense, Adebayo’s specialty, put aside during the event.
Adebayo played 23 minutes in his team’s 184-175 victory, making both of his shots and adding an assist. It was the second All-Star appearance for the 2017 first-round pick out of Kentucky, this time as the Heat’s lone representative. He had appeared alongside Butler in the 2020 game.
Adebayo otherwise took a backseat to Team Antetokounmpo teammate Jayson Tatum, who was named the game’s Most Valuable Player after scoring 55 points, an All-Star Game record. Donovan Mitchell scored 40 points for Adebayo’s team.