Tokyo Olympics 2021: Team USA's Kevin Love ruled out with injury

Another Team USA player has been ruled out of the Tokyo Olympics… and on this occasion it doesn’t have anything to do with covid-19. Kevin Love won’t be in Japan as a result of a right calf injury that kept him on the sidelines for a significant chunk of the NBA season, his agent Jeff Schwartz has told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Love follows Beal in being ruled out of Tokyo Olympics

The power forward’s absence follows Bradley Beal’s premature departure from Team USA’s Olympics roster after he contracted the coronavirus. The Washington Wizards shooting guard was placed under health and safety protocols relating to the virus on Wednesday, before USA Basketball confirmed on Thursday that he would be unable to play at the Olympics and a replacement would be sought. Detroit Pistons power forward Jerami Grant has also gone into self-isolation, but has come back negative in the tests he has taken.

NBA Finals trio all also unavailable for now

These three absences join those of Milwaukee Bucks pair Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday, and the Phoenix Suns’ Devin Booker, who are all currently playing in the NBA Finals. What’s more, Jayson Tatum has problems with his knee.

Currently down six players and with another doubtful, Team USA head coach Gregg Popovich may be left with just five of the men he called up for Tokyo 2020 when the United States take on Spain in Las Vegas on Saturday (6pm EDT): Bam Adebayo, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Zach LaVine and Damian Lillard. And Lillard is currently in the midst of a saga over his future: after nine seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, he is considering seeking a move to the Golden State Warriors.

Select Team's Garland, Johnson and Beq to get court time against Spain

Darius Garland, Keldon Johnson and Saddiq Beq, members of the Select Team, a group of 13 youngsters and four veterans who are training with Team USA, will get game time against Spain, just as they did against Argentina, Australia and Nigeria.

Love may be on his way out of Cleveland

Love has not had a good time of it in recent seasons. Since being handed a $120 million, four-year contract by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2018, he has only managed to make it through 2019/20 without major interruptions, playing 56 out of 65 possible games that year. The previous campaign he appeared only 22 times, and this term he was limited to 25 games.

He isn’t happy at the Cavs and has shown plenty of signs that he is not committed to the Ohio franchise’s project. Indeed, Cleveland are rumoured to have placed him on the market - and he isn’t short on suitors. The Philadelphia 76ers, the Miami Heat, the New Orleans Pelicans, the Los Angeles Clipeers and the Portland Trail Blazers are all thought to be interested in securing his services.