Kevin Love will sign with the Heat, not the Sixers

SALT LAKE CITY — So much for the possibility of the 76ers signing Kevin Love in the buyout market.

The 34-year-old power forward plans to sign with the Miami Heat after clearing waivers, a league source confirms. ESPN was first to report the news. The Heat were considered the front-runners to sign him, the five-time All-Star spoke to the Sixers before making a decision.

The Cleveland Cavaliers completed the buyout of Love’s contract on Saturday. The final year of his deal is a guaranteed $28.98 million.

With less depth than Philly in the frontcourt, a source said Love opted for Miami because the Heat will provide a bigger role.

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The Sixers (38-19) signed center Dewayne Dedmon on Tuesday in an attempt to shore up their frontcourt depth behind six-time All-Star center Joel Embiid. Love would have been another solid addition. A great rebounder, he could have helped a Sixers squad that ranks 28th in the league with 40.5 rebounds per game. Love has averaged 10.5 rebounds in 853 career games.

He also would have also given the Sixers an added shooter off the bench. However, he has struggled with his shooting this season. Love is averaging a career-low 8.5 points while shooting 38.9% from the field, including 35.4% on three-pointers.

Don’t expect to get an apology from former Brooklyn Nets stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant about their demands to be traded.

Irving forced a trade to the Dallas Mavericks on Feb. 6. Three days later, the Nets accommodated Durant by trading him to the Phoenix Suns. But demands from stars to be traded are nothing new.

James Harden forced trades to the Nets and the Sixers in each of the last two seasons. Ben Simmons also refused to play for the Sixers last season, leading to the Brooklyn deal in exchange for Harden.

Irving and Durant, both voted All-Stars, defended the idea of elite players demanding trades during Saturday’s media availability at the NBA’s All-Star weekend.

“I don’t think it’s bad for the league,” Durant said. " It’s bringing more eyes to the league, more people are more excited. The tweets that I get — the news hits that we got from me being traded, Kyrie being traded — it just brings more attention to the league and that’s really what rakes the money in, when you get more attention.

“So I think it’s great for the league, to be honest.”

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Irving doesn’t think it’s a big deal. He regards his time in Brooklyn as a bad situation for him.

“Why doesn’t anyone have the ability to ask for trades? That’s my question,” he said. “When did it become terrible to make great business decisions for yourself and your happiness and peace of mind? Not every employer you’re going to get along with, so if you have the chance to go somewhere else and you’re doing it legally, I don’t think there’s a problem with it.”

However, NBA commissioner Adam Silver doesn’t agree with the future Hall of Famers. Silver noted that the league and the players union agreed that public trade demands are inappropriate.

" It currently exists as conduct detrimental in our [collective bargaining agreement],” he said, " and that has not been an area of discussion between us and the players association.”