Cleveland Cavaliers Power Forward Kevin Love spoke with ESPN, this week, regarding the importance of mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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“Listen, I don’t have all the answers — and likely never will,” Love said. “But speaking from experience, I can tell you there are resources out there that can help you. It’s really scary what’s going on in the world right now. But you don’t have to suffer through it alone. Take it from someone who did that for far too long.”

Love runs the Kevin Love Fund, an organization that seeks to spread mental health awareness. 

Love suffers from mental health issues, himself. In 2018, he spoke with ESPN about his panic attacks, saying there were moments in games where he would lose his breath and his heart would race. 

Since then, he says his mental health has greatly improved.

“My life is dramatically different,” Love told ESPN. “I have a lot more clarity about where I’m headed, and where we’re headed as a society in terms of removing the stigma from mental health issues. We still treat mental illness so differently from a physical illness. If you had a heart condition, you’d see a doctor and you’d take the necessary steps to fix the problem. Why should it be any different with mental health?”

The NBA is currently in talks with Walt Disney to resume the 2019-20 season in Orlando in July.

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The Cleveland Cavaliers opened their practice facility this week, becoming one of the first teams to do so.

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"It was the longest I've ever gone without shooting a basketball," Cavs Forward Kevin Love told ESPN, Friday. "So I didn't care. I just wanted to get some shots up."

He says the players were all screened before being allowed on the courts: "Asked us a few questions. How we're feeling, if anybody has been sick in the house, if we've been sick, if we've basically adhered to all the guidelines that are put in place, not only by the NBA but state to state."

Coaches wore latex gloves and facemasks throughout the practice: "Latex gloves make your hands sweat more than I ever knew!" one Cavs coach told ESPN. "Definitely took a little to get used to with the gloves, but definitely the safest technique right now if you think about it."

Love, personally, is just excited to be back on the court. "I feel like anybody who needs an escape or in everyday life is looking for any type of normalcy back doing something they love," he said. "For me, I played 25-ish years of organized basketball, and this is the longest I've ever gone without touching [a basketball]. And it's something I really, really enjoy doing.

"So for me, it definitely was a big dopamine hit, and it just felt great to get in there and sweat outside of doing my workouts at home or getting on a treadmill. Going out there and having some sense of normalcy and getting on the court and actually shooting was pretty uplifting."

Kevin Love has been known to be a charitable man and his experiences with anxiety have made him especially empathetic to those going through the same thing. Anxiety has been heightened amongst everybody as of late due to the Coronavirus. The NBA and other sports leagues across the world recently shut down their seasons in an attempt to enact social distancing measures. This is especially concerning for arena workers who get paid at an hourly rate. Now, they are out of jobs which could lead to dire consequences in their personal lives.

Love is well-aware of the anxiety this has brought the workers and yesterday, he announced that he and his foundation would donate $100,000 to arena workers who have been affected. This was paired with a pledge from the Cleveland Cavaliers to create a compensation program for employees at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.

“Everyone reacts differently to stressful situations. And the fear and anxiety resulting from the recent outbreak of COVID-19 can be extremely overwhelming,” Love wrote. “Through the game of basketball, we’ve been able to address major issues and stand together as a progressive league that cares about the players, the fans, and the communities where we work. I’m concerned about the level of anxiety that everyone is feeling and that is why I’m committing $100,000 through the @KevinLoveFund in support of the @Cavs arena and support staff that had a sudden life shift due to the suspension of the NBA season. I hope that during this time of crisis, others will join me in supporting our communities.”

This is an incredible gesture that will certainly go a long way. Perhaps other players will follow suit.

Numerous NBA teams were busy at the trade deadline this year as they were looking for ways to improve while also offloading some of their worst contracts. One of the teams that had a chance to make a splash was the Cleveland Cavaliers who were thinking of moving the likes of Kevin Love. Love has one of the heftiest contracts in the league and it’s clear he isn’t too interested in being in Cleveland anymore.

According to reports, the Portland Trail Blazers offered the Cavaliers Kent Bazemore and Hassan Whiteside but the Cavs weren’t interested. In fact, the struggling squad was looking for a first-round pick but there wasn’t a single team that wanted to make that move. This is why Love was never dealt, in the end.

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Per Jason Lloyd of The Athletic:

“The only one that I know definitely equated to just a salary dump. Portland offered Bazemore and Whiteside, which essentially would’ve matched Kevin’s salary. But both of those are expiring contracts and the Cavs would’ve received no real assets in return. Portland eventually sent Bazemore to Sacramento.

Most teams were telling the Cavs they’d need to include assets just to get them to take Kevin’s contract. The Cavs were asking for a first-round pick. No one even came close to that. I’d expect them to resume trade talks on Kevin this summer.”

Both the Cavaliers and Blazers are on pace to miss the playoffs this season. Had the Blazers acquired Love, their chances certainly would have gone up. Unfortunately, they may very well have to wait until next year to make a run.

The Los Angeles Clippers are expected to be active this week as the NBA trade deadline approaches, with a pressing need to beef up their size and wing depth. According to Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix, the Clippers are interested in several veteran front court players, most notably Cleveland Cavaliers' big men Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson.

The Portland Trail Blazers have gotten out to a slow start this season, currently sitting in 10th place in the Western Conference with a record of 15-22. Lest we forget, the Blazers are one year removed from a trip to the Western Conference Finals during a season in which they third in the West at 53-29.

As a result of Portland's lackluster play thus far, Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes reports that the team will "for sure" be making a move ahead of the February 6 trade deadline. During a discussion with NBC Sports' Tom Haberstroh on the Habershow Podcast, Haynes said, "There will be a move made, for sure. It's hard for me to believe that Hassan Whiteside and Kent Bazemore will still be there past the trade deadline."

Ever since LeBron James left the Cleveland Cavaliers for the second time, the team has been in shambles. There only bonafide star is Kevin Love who is currently on the decline. The team is near the bottom of the Eastern Conference and it doesn't look like they'll be getting out of there anytime soon. Love has been unhappy with the team and has made it clear both on and off the court. For instance, Love recently got caught whipping a pass at Collin Sexton. He reportedly had a huge outburst directed at the team's executives which is causing even more tension. During a recent media scrum, Love took responsibility for his actions.