Chat with LeBron James convinced Kevin Love to re-sign with Cavs

A poolside chat that Kevin Love had with LeBron James persuaded him to return to the Cavaliers.

Love, who announced last week that he will stay in Cleveland, said Thursday that he and James had a "very honest" talk before free agency opened and the discussion led him to re-signing with the Cavs.

The Love-James relationship was constantly analyzed last season as the Cavs tried to mesh new players under first-year coach David Blatt.

Love, who averaged 16.4 points and 9.7 rebounds in 75 regular-season starts, said watching Golden State celebrate after winning Game 6 in Cleveland also motivated him to return to the Cavs.

James agreed to terms of a one-year, $23 million contract for next season, which includes a player option for 2016-17, said two sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because James has not yet signed it.

Doc Rivers gave a quick answer when asked about DeAndre Jordan coming back to the Los Angeles Clippers.

"He never left," the Clippers' coach said.

In actuality, many — the Dallas Mavericks most assuredly included — would probably disagree. The fallout from Jordan's Texas two-step already had some saying that the way the league handles the offseason moratorium that doubles as a frenzied free-agent shopping period needs to change.

The moratorium, a dead period of sorts that is in place in part so league officials can have time to crunch all the numbers from one fiscal year and set a salary cap for the coming season, will surely be a hot topic at NBA meetings in Las Vegas next week.

"Everybody realizes it's something that has to be looked at," Brooklyn General Manager Billy King said.

Jordan formally re-signed with the Clippers on Thursday after he verbally committed to the Mavericks on Friday the week before.

A handshake deal, in this case, was no deal.