Do Cavs Have a Kevin Love Problem?

This, in a way, isn’t surprising. Active offseasons could include a championship parade, so that’s pretty cool. But active in the sense they have to worry about their roster, specifically their Big Three foundation, isn’t so cool.

LeBron James can become a free agent, but he isn’t going anywhere. Kyrie Irving is under lock and key for the next half-decade, so he isn’t the problem.

That leaves Kevin Love, who can also become a free agent. Though it’s unclear what he’ll do—opt out and sign a five-year deal, opt-out and sign a one-year deal in order to capitalize on 2016’s cap boon, or just opt in—his return to Cleveland has been considered a formality.

Rumors have circulated to the contrary on multiple occasions, including a recent one from ESPN’s Chris Broussard. The folks over at Hoop Rumors did a nice job aggregating a mini-timeline:

Kevin Love silenced many rumors when he said in January that he plans to opt in for next season with the Cavs, but rival executives have begun to question whether Cleveland would want to re-sign Love for the maximum salary if he were to opt out, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN (video link). Many executives think Love will leave the Cavs, perhaps to sign with the Lakers, Broussard also says, reiterating earlier reports that the power forward has denied amid continued insistence that he’d like to stay in Cleveland. The Cavs haven’t given any indication that their desire for Love has waned, Broussard cautioned.

To date, Love has yet to say anything that suggests he’s truly unhappy in Cleveland. Some of his sound bites have been weird and defensive, but even those don’t portray a wholly displeased superstar preparing to bolt.

But could he bolt? In the face of playing third fiddle to Irving and LeBron and seeing his usage and efficiency plummet, could he sign elsewhere, regaining his alpha-dog status as one of the top-two options within another team’s offense?

Maybe.

But probably not.

Love would be leaving a crap ton of money on the table for starters. No other team can sign him to a five-year deal now. Perhaps that’s not a big deal if he’s looking for a one-year pact that allows him to hit the open market again in 2016, but still, it’s risky. There’s also the matter of the Cavaliers potentially winning the Eastern Conference and even the NBA Finals. If they make it that far in the postseason and Love still leaves, his image will take a massive hit.

In all likelihood, if the Cavaliers want him back, he’ll be back, even if he opts in. And the Cavaliers will want him back. This notion that they wouldn’t is kind of crazy. They gave up Andrew Wiggins, the No. 1 pick for him, so they cannot let Love walk for nothing. Plus, they’re not going to find as prolific an option elsewhere. Love’s production may not be profoundly flattering, but it’s still pretty damn good. What team wouldn’t want 15 and 10 from its No. 3 option?

So do the Cavaliers have a Kevin Love problem? In the sense that he’s not yet comfortable in his primarily off-ball role, sure.

In the sense that he’s a flight risk or this experiment is approaching complete failure, no.