Cavaliers’ Kevin Love expects to be mentioned in trade rumors

The NBA season drags on so long that the time between the last game of the Finals and the start of the new league year on July 1is a matter of only weeks.

Kevin Love was a hot name on the trade rumor mill last year. The same thing will likely happen this summer. Love, in his fourth season with the Cavaliers, almost expects it. His preference, though, is to stay with the Cavs.

“I always wanted to be here, always wanted to win here,” he said before Game 4 of the Finals. “But as you know, it’s probably going to come up. It always does. It’s also good to be wanted. But at the same time, it’s going to be interesting to see what happens. We just don’t know.

“There’s been so much overhaul and so many things that have happened this year, particularly with our team, that you just don’t know when July comes and free agency hits. There could be something interesting that comes up for this team.”

The NBA draft is June 21 — 13 after the Warriors eliminated the Cavs in the Finals. The Cavaliers, by virtue of the Nets’ 2018 first-round acquired in the trade that sent Kyrie Irving to Boston, pick eighth. General Manager Koby Altman has to decide whether to use the pick or trade it for an established player to make the Cavs better more quickly.

The draft is 10 days before free agency and trades can be made, but what the Cavs do in the draft could be a clue about what they plan to do with Love.

Just as free agency negotiations in the NFL are done in behind the curtain meetings before they can become official, NBA general managers can feel out trades before the bell rings signifying the opening of the market.

“Knowing that it’s a business — I know that’s cliché to say — take it in stride,” Love said. “But that’s just what I’ve had to do. Keep my mouth shut and go about my business and work and be ready and be prepared for this team next year.”

Love has averaged 17.1 points and 10 rebounds a game in his four seasons with the Cavaliers. He has played and started 271 of a possible 328 games in the regular season.