Kevin Love Current Contract Structure and Salary
Kevin Love is currently under contract with the Sacramento Kings on a one-year veteran minimum deal for the 2024-25 NBA season, earning a base salary of approximately $3.3 million. The contract includes standard NBA salary cap protections and is fully guaranteed for the season. This move marked a return to a competitive Western Conference roster after his prior tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers and a brief stint with the Miami Heat. His current deal reflects a veteran minimum salary, which is determined by years of service in the league. For context on NBA salary cap rules, see the official NBA CBA overview at NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement.
The Kings signed Love to add veteran depth and three-point shooting spacing around their young core. His contract does not include player or team options for future seasons, making him a free agent again in summer 2025. The deal is structured to provide flexibility for the Kings' front office while keeping Love's salary below the luxury tax apron. This type of short-term veteran minimum contract is common for experienced players seeking a contender role. Additional salary cap context is available on the Forbes NBA salary cap explainer.
Kevin Love Career Contract Timeline and Earnings
Kevin Love signed a five-year, $110 million maximum contract extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014, which was the richest deal in franchise history at the time. He later joined the Miami Heat on a four-year, $110 million contract in 2018 before being traded to the Sacramento Kings in 2023. His career earnings across all NBA contracts exceed $280 million in guaranteed salary, placing him among the highest-paid power forwards in league history. Detailed contract breakdowns are tracked by Spotrac at Kevin Love Spotrac contract page.
Before his Cavaliers extension, Love signed a six-year, $110 million max deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2008 as the first overall pick. That contract included a player option for the sixth year, which he exercised before being traded to Cleveland in 2014. His career earnings trajectory shows a shift from max-level contracts to veteran minimum deals as he transitioned into a role-player phase. The NBA Players Association provides historical salary data at NBPA official site.
Kevin Love Contract Impact on Team Salary Cap and Roster Building
Kevin Love's current veteran minimum contract with the Kings has a negligible impact on the team's salary cap space, allowing Sacramento to maintain flexibility for future signings and trades. His presence on the roster does not trigger luxury tax penalties, and his salary counts fully against the salary cap for purposes of the apron and mid-level exception calculations. The Kings can use the full mid-level exception and taxpayer mid-level exception while Love is on the roster because his salary is well below the apron threshold. For a deeper look at luxury tax rules, see the Sports Business Journal NBA salary cap guide.
In prior contracts, Love's max deals with Cleveland and Miami significantly impacted both teams' salary cap flexibility and luxury tax obligations. The Cavaliers used the stretch provision on a portion of his contract during his final season in Cleveland to manage cap space for future free agency moves. The Heat later used similar mechanisms to