Kevin Love finds himself in a big role with the Utah Jazz after considering a buyout

The 37-year-old considered not joining the team, but found himself in the Jazz’s rotation.

After 17 seasons in the NBA, Kevin Love thought he had found a home in Miami. It was a franchise that allowed him to spend time with his father, Stan, as he battled a long illness in early 2025.

Then the Heat traded him to Utah as part of the salary cap configuration in the John Collins/Norman Powell deal. It made him consider everything, including seeking a buyout from the Jazz, so he could try to find a new NBA destination.

“I was just considering all my options because I have two young daughters at home,” Love said at the start of the season. “I have a two-year-old who goes to preschool in Miami, and then an eight-month-old who has been picking them up and moving them around for a couple of months.

So the Jazz gave Love plenty of time to make up his mind.

“I think Kevin had a really tough year personally — his family life, his personal life last year. He had a tough decision this year,” Jazz president of basketball operations Austin Ainge said. “We wanted to welcome him and give him a place to play and have a better season.”

“He spent some time with his family and decided to come,” Ainge said.

As the calendar flips to 2026, Love has been a significant part of the Utah Jazz’s identity. While he began the season as a bench player — once literally covering head coach Will Hardy’s ears while the Opening Day crowd chanted “We want love,” he now finds himself part of the Jazz’s rotation. He even started the game, albeit in the absence of Jusuf Nurkic and Lauri Markkanen.

In a Dec. 12 game against Memphis, Love scored 20 points for the first time in nearly two years. And on Dec. 20 against the Magic, he scored 16 points and grabbed 16 rebounds — enough to get him on the podium for the local media. He didn’t know where the media room even was in the Delta Center; it had been a long time since he needed to hold a press conference.

“I think Lyndon B. Johnson was probably in office,” Love said of the last time he saw the podium.

Hardy went to Love as an option in lineups that could use his presence — especially ones without shooters Isaiah Collier and Cody Williams.

“He’s an elite rebounder, so those things keep coming up,” Hardy said of why Love has been getting more playing time lately. “And then obviously just a little bit of his general savvy at 18 years old — he’s gotten to know his teammates a little bit and I think his gap element gives us a different perspective.”

But his impact on the court far exceeded his impact off it. Love’s teammates often talk about what he brought to a team in need of a true veteran presence — not a longtime NBA player, but a potential Hall of Famer.

Take rookie Ace Bailey, who questions Love about what it takes to succeed in the NBA. Bailey said he asked Love about his footwork while rolling in the paint, and Love showed him the importance of playing with two feet. “Dodging fouls, gives you a better option and also allows you to escape. He learned it from Love.

However, from Love’s point of view, the biggest difference is how the players interact with each other.

“I always say it’s funny – the foundation of any great relationship is communication and transparency, and when I first came here, no one talked about that,” he said. “I’m like, make these guys sing because they just won’t even talk to each other.

That has improved, Love says, since his arrival.

“It was a huge sign of growth for us,” he said. “In timeouts, halftimes, after games, watching film, in pre-practice film sessions, like we continue to communicate better. If we have a good foundation there, everything will only grow.”

His influence was perhaps most visible with Keyonte George. Love’s locker sits next to George’s — in the veterans spot where Kris Dunn sat before he was traded.

“I know I played well tonight,” Love said after his 16-point, 16-rebound performance, “But I just want to be the vet that I never was at the beginning of my career. I look at someone like him making a huge leap and I just want to be able to support him as best as I can.”

During his time as a coach, Hardy’s motto for his team was “Show the love”.

Kevin Love may be the best example.