With only a few weeks to go until training camps open, the New York Knicks still find themselves with an open roster spot.
Their clear need for more depth behind the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns and newcomer Guerschon Yabusele at the four has led some to look at veteran big man Kevin Love as a possible option if and when he were to depart from his current employers, the Utah Jazz.
Now, it appears recent rumblings are suggesting that the opportunity to make this hypothetical signing become a reality is as plausible as ever, as Bennett Durando of The Denver Post dropped intel stating that the five-time All-Star is “widely expected to be traded or bought out" at some point in the near future.
On paper, there's no doubt that a pursuit of Love could be an intriguing decision for the title-hopeful Knicks to make, as he's a big-bodied power forward-center hybrid with championship experience who can gobble up boards and stretch beyond the arc on the offensive end (averages 10.0 rebounds while shooting 36.9 percent from deep for his career).
However, when looking beyond simple talking points such as per-game counting stats and his career resume, it's clear that Love makes little sense for the Knicks in 2025-26.
Kevin Love should not be seen as a legitimate option for Knicks
The logic behind why Love signing with New York would be an absolute disaster transcends the simple reason that he's well past his All-NBA days.
Last season with the Heat, the veteran was held to just 23 contests played, which marks the third time over the last seven seasons that he's finished with a total of active games in the 20s.
When looking for frontcourt depth, especially with guys like Mitchell Robinson already being such an injury risk, having confidence that whoever they pick up will regularly be available is a must.
Unfortunately, a 37-year-old with a continuously growing injury history list is by no means someone who should instill this kind of faith.
Now, granted, Love is someone who can still provide effective offensive contributions when asked to, as he wrapped up his final year down in Miami with averages of 5.3 points while shooting 35.8 percent from deep in 10.9 minutes of action.
However, when looking at this Knicks team, adding another offensive weapon is far from what they need, as they ranked fifth in offensive rating and ninth in points per game just a season ago (115.8), and have gone on to add two new quality bucket-getters in Jordan Clarkson and Yabusele this summer already.
If anything, Leon Rose and company should be more interested in adding on a player who can provide versatile defensive attributes to help boost the production of this club that ranked a pedestrian 13 in defensive rating (113.3) and sixth-worst in opponent field goal percentage last year.
A player who has been regularly panned for his defensive skills throughout his career, the fact that he's become visibly slower during these twilight years certainly does not instill any confidence that he would fit this particular mold.
So, while people like NBA insider Jake Fischer have reported over the past few months that Love may have an interest in joining a team like the Knicks for his next career move, considering their current roster makeup and on-court needs, the feeling should not be mutual.