Kevin Love to Miss Six Weeks After Knee Surgery

The Cleveland Cavaliers will be without Kevin Love for quite some time. ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported that the All-Star big man will get his left knee scoped, costing him six weeks of recovery time and forcing him to miss this weekend's All-Star festivities in New Orleans.

Love is averaging 20 points and 11.1 rebounds this season, putting him in a very exclusive club.

Kevin Love is 1 of 5 players this season averaging 20 PPG & 10 RPG (Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins, Karl-Anthony Towns & Russell Westbrook)
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) February 14, 2017

This injury could end up being quite a blow for Cleveland. The Eastern Conference is by no means a juggernaut, but the Cavs aren't guaranteed the No. 1 seed. The surging Boston Celtics, winners of 9 of their last 10, have climbed to within two games on the Cavs in the standings. And the Toronto Raptors—who pushed Cleveland to six games in the Conference Finals last year—just pulled off a deal for Serge Ibaka.

Of course, news of Love's injury coming so close to the trade deadline will inevitably ramp up more trade rumors. LeBron James, Cleveland's superstar and maybe-sorta general manager, had to shoot down rumors of a Love-for-Carmelo Anthony swap just last week, even going so far as to call the rumor (and the writer who reported it) "trash."

Regardless, the 32-year-old James, who is already averaging an unacceptable 37.6 minutes per game, has just been handed yet another heavy burden.