Love is considering an opt-out, but there should be no worry of him leaving

Kevin Love, a four-time NBA All-Star, was acquired by Cleveland in a three-team trade this offseason

Just when everything seemed to be going well in Cleveland, a report from Sam Smith from NBA.com has nearly spoiled the happy state-of-mind in Northeast Ohio. Smith reported that Cavaliers forward Kevin Love would use his opt-out clause this summer and bolt for Los Angeles to play for the Lakers.

From Smith:

"It’s not going to get as much discussion during the season, but one of the biggest issues for the Cavs is that both LeBron James and Kevin Love own opt outs after this season. LeBron James basically cannot afford to go anywhere after his return to Cleveland. But watch out for Love. Indications are he will seriously consider the opt out and has his eyes on a return to Los Angeles, where he attended college and where the Lakers long have had him on their free agent wish list.."

It is well-known that both LeBron James and Love will opt-out this summer, but that has more to do with a larger salary cap than the idea of changing teams. Thanks to a new television deal the NBA signed last month, many expect the salary cap to increase by up to 140 percent. Not only did the new TV deal mean more money for the league, it means more money for players.

With the increase in money, this bodes well for the Cavs. They already possess the ability to offer more money to Love, thanks in part to the Larry Bird rights, it would be even more with the higher salary cap.

There are not many logical reasons why Love would be making the right decision by changing teams for the third time. The Lakers have always been a potential destination for top-tier free agents in the past, but have struck out numerous times over the past few years. LeBron (twice), Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard and Paul George have chosen different paths over playing with the fame and glory that comes with being a Laker. What would make Love want to go their any more than these guys?

Love, however, did play college down the road at UCLA, but that was only for one year. If George, who grew up just an hour outside from Los Angeles, does not want to come home and play for them, there is no better reason why Love would want to play there. It would make more sense if Love wanted to play in Portland, whereas he grew up in Lake Oswego, Oregon.

The biggest positive for Cleveland is that they have LeBron James. Love has expressed how big of an impact LeBron has made for him to come to Cleveland. Without LeBron, Love might still be in Minnesota. Kobe Bryant could have that same pull LeBron has, but it seems he has pushed more players away than he's brought in.

A lot can change from now until July; nobody thought at this time last year that LeBron would be returning to Cleveland. It would be surprising if Love would leave, especially if this team plays well. As of now, reports are just reports.