LeBron James’ next move may end up nudging the Utah Jazz in a direction they already seemed ready to take.
James is probably not headed to Utah this summer, but his exit from the Los Angeles Lakers still had an indirect ripple effect on the Jazz. That decision helped make Utah comfortable with moving Kessler for practically its entire draft equity. And now there’s another possible James connection to watch: wherever he signs, Kevin Love may be coming along too.
Jake Fischer said on his Bleacher Report live stream that he wouldn’t be surprised if Love is treated as a “plus-one” for any team that lands James this summer.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Kevin Love is considered as a plus 1 to any team that acquires LeBron James,” - @JakeLFischer.
(Via @BleacherReport) pic.twitter.com/BzhsfVkzxA
- ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) July 12, 2026
That idea has been floated before, but it landed differently earlier in the summer, before it became clear that James and the Lakers were going their separate ways. Even now, the connection between James and Love is obvious, even with nearly a decade having passed since they shared a locker room in Cleveland.
For Utah, losing Love would not be a crushing blow. Still, he was popular enough that plenty of Jazz fans would have liked to see him stick around. At this stage of his career, it makes sense that Love would want to play alongside a friend and chase a championship at the same time.
Right now, the smart money says that happens with James rather than in Utah. But given how quickly the league can shift, that assumption could age poorly before long.
Love may have been gone anyway
The Jazz had enough appreciation for Love that fans were hoping for another run, but that hope was mostly about what he brought off the floor. Re-signing Mo Bamba changed the math. Utah now has 15 players, and that move made Love’s spot on the roster look pretty shaky.
It wasn’t just a numbers issue, either. The Jazz used their final opening on a big man, which says plenty about what they want from the frontcourt. Bamba isn’t the best center out there, but he still has more left in the tank than Love.
Love held his own when Utah called on him last season, but at this point, in his late 30s, he can only offer so much on the court. The Jazz want to keep building toward being a playoff team, and Love wouldn’t really hurt that goal.
He just wouldn’t move it forward, either. So if this is the end in Utah, he may be getting one last shot elsewhere while riding alongside his old friend.
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