The 2025 NBA offseason is fairly young, but that hasn't stopped the league from pulling off quite a few shake-ups already. The Los Angeles Lakers have made some summertime splashes of their own, bringing in free agents Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia as they plan to pursue an NBA championship in head coach JJ Redick's second year behind the bench.
As the Lakers prepare their next move, the NBA saw another offseason splash on Monday in the form of a three-team trade. According to ESPN insider Shams Charania, veteran sharpshooter Norman Powell is making his way to the Miami Heat, and ex-2019 first-round pick John Collins is en route to the L.A. Clippers, while the Utah Jazz have landed Kevin Love, Kyle Anderson, and a 2027 second-round selection.
BREAKING: The Clippers, Jazz and Heat have agreed to a trade that sends Norman Powell to Miami, John Collins to Los Angeles, and Kevin Love, Kyle Anderson and a 2027 Clippers second-round pick to the Jazz, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/o0FkV0o2l8
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 7, 2025
Even though the three-team deal doesn't mean much to the Lakers upon first glance, general manager Rob Pelinka will want to follow the fallout of the trade. After all, it could open the door for Los Angeles to add a championship winner to Redick's roster.
Lakers Must Pursue Kevin Love Following a Potential Jazz Buyout
There's a good chance that Kevin Love's time with the Jazz won't last long. The five-time NBA All-Star's age (36), combined with Utah owning the league's worst record last season (17-65), makes Love a potential buyout candidate because he likely doesn't want to be on a rebuilding team at this stage of his career.
If the ex-UCLA Bruin is bought out this summer, the Lakers must be one of the first teams to blow up his phone.
The Lakers' frontcourt already looks much better compared to last year after signing Ayton, which pushed Jaxson Hayes back to the No. 2 spot.
Having said that, adding Love to the mix would take the unit to the next level. He's no longer in his prime, but he brings a wealth of experience to the table that includes 1,040 games played between the regular season and playoffs, two All-NBA second-team nods, and a championship ring.
Playing only 23 games (9 starts) with the Heat last season, Love averaged 5.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 0.7 steals while shooting 35.7% from the floor and 35.8% from deep. Even with that being the worst performance of his career, the Lakers would likely call on him a lot less than that as their No. 3 center, potentially reserving him for garbage-time minutes.
A signing would also be a homecoming for Love. The 6-foot-8 veteran was born in Santa Monica before his family moved to Oregon, only to return to California when he committed to playing college ball at UCLA.
Love's connection to LeBron James is another reason why the Lakers should sign the former if the Jazz buy him out. The dynamic duo played four seasons together on the Cleveland Cavaliers after arriving in 2014, and their productive run included their 2016 NBA Finals victory. They wouldn't mind having a chance to run things back in L.A.
Although he wouldn't make the Lakers instant championship favorites, Love's experience would make him an asset both as a locker room leader and occasional on-floor contributor. A reunion with James could even be enough to motivate the just-traded veteran to turn back the clock, especially if he sees L.A. as a legitimate NBA Finals threat.
With that being said, Lakers fans will want to monitor Love's situation in the coming days.