The Cleveland Cavaliers are slowly starting to figure this whole chemistry thing out. After several games of looking lost on the court together, LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving are starting to gel, something that was highlighted by a triple-double from James on Monday night. However, there could still be changes headed the Cavaliers' way as many speculate the futures of both Dion Waiters and Kevin Love.
Waiters appears to no longer be a starter in Cleveland, something the guard is downplaying the drama of. For the entire preseason and the first three games of the regular season, Waiters started at the shooting guard spot, but struggled to find his place on the team alongside the big three of James, Irving and Love. He was struggling when to take shots and when to set up a play. After getting pushed to the bench against the Denver Nuggets, Waiters was suddenly dominating at the basket, leading the second unit in scoring. However, could he be a trade target come the mid-season deadline if Tristan Thompson takes priority?
According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Waiters' team option was picked up which tentatively secures his future, but the Cavaliers could be forced to pick between the shooting guard and Thompson for the future as the forward is approaching restricted free agency. Both Waiters and Thompson have heard their names mentioned in trade rumors in the past and survived them. There is still a chance that both could return next season as well, but with money coming to James, Love and Anderson Varejao in the offseason, the Cavaliers must consider salary cap space.
However, what if Love is not part of the picture next season? On Monday, Sam Smith of Bulls.com reported that Love is considering opting out of his contract at the end of the season and signing with the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency. This rumor is both insane and slightly believable at the same time. Love can become a free agent next summer which is why he was traded in the first place. However, the Cavaliers would not have given up their previous two No. 1 overall draft picks if they felt the forward was going to bolt after a season with the team.
Love is a California native and spent his college time at UCLA. He has not been shy about the fact that he grew up a Lakers fan which makes Smith's report believable. However, one has to believe Cleveland promised max money to Love if he remained with the team which will likely be the end result.
