Kevin Love Has Shoulder Surgery, Out Four To Six Months

Photo © Jim Rogash/Getty Images.

It is official, Kevin Love will be missing the rest of the playoffs. After initially counting him out of the first few games of the series, the Cavaliers GM David Griffin claimed, on Tuesday, it would be “highly unlikely” to see his return during the NBA Playoffs.

Love was injured when him and Boston Celtics Kelly Olynyk become tangled while going after a loose ball. Olynyk’s grip on the superstar’s arm resulted in it popping out of the socket, with the dislocation being fairly visible to the naked eye. As soon as it happened, Love ran off the court, leaving many to speculate about his return.

Following the game, the Cavs superstar had some choice words for Olynyk. “I thought it was a bush league play,” Love said. “I mean I was out there and Olynyk was in a compromising position and had no chance to get the ball. It’s just too bad he would go to those lengths to take someone out of a game and do it to someone. I have no doubt in my mind he did it on purpose.”

And today, his departure from the playoffs has been confirmed through Love’s Instagram account.

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The operation was done at New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery by Dr. David W. Altchek, according to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Again, the actual timetable for his return is unsure, but the team expects the recovery to be anywhere from four to six months.

More importantly, what does this mean for the Cavs’ chances to keep Love? Well everything, at the moment, is up in the air. This was the last year of his contract from Minnesota. A few months ago, Love expressed interest in staying in Cleveland on The Dan Patrick Show.

However, his time with the team has been extremely bumpy. Between people commenting on his friendship with Lebron James and his diminished role with the Cavs, it would surprise no one if he left in the offseason. Still, this was the first real team success he has ever had in the NBA – in his seven-year career, this was his first playoff appearance.

With this said, Griffin has confidence that they will retain Love. “We were playing at a tremendous level and getting the full extent of Kevin, so it’s very difficult to have that taken away from you,” Griffin stated. “At the same time, I think he realizes we’re set up to potentially be pretty good in the future, and he’s excited about being part of that, too.”

During the 2014-15 season, Love was averaging 16.4 PPG, 2.2 APG and 9.7 RPG, which were all down from 2013-14.