Lakers News: Kevin Love Chase Not the Right Path for LA

As Kobe Bryant fights to show what he has left in the tank, Kevin Love continues to dish out reassurances that his arrival in Cleveland is not merely a pit stop on a trip West. 

Love is not 20 games into his stay with the Cleveland Cavaliers and continues to deal with questions as to whether or not he will opt out and look for a new home next offseason.

Much of this has to do with the Los Angeles Lakers, a team that the globe has known for some time now as major buyers this upcoming offseason.

The problem is, Los Angeles should want to steer clear of the Love circus.

Of course, this requires context first. Sam Smith of the Bulls official site told the globe in early November: "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."

Love knows the territory, though. It is plain as day from a financial standpoint that he will opt out this offseason in order to ink a new max deal.

The "where" part of the equation is what has the league in a frenzy, much to Love's dismay. He recently took to ESPN's Mike & Mike in the Morning to reaffirm his long-term status as a member of the Cavaliers, as captured by Scott Sargent of WaitingForNextYear.com:

"

Since I was traded to Cleveland this summer, I’ve said since Day 1 that I’m a Cleveland Cavalier long term and I plan for it to be that way. I want to grow with this team. There’s a lot of guys with a lot of unique talent, one-through-fifteen, on our roster who are going to be here for a long time. If I could end all the speculation now, I would. But people are going to continue to talk no matter what. I just want to continue getting better with this team long term. I’m a Cleveland Cavalier.

"

The fact the Cavaliers continue to flirt with the .500 mark and role issues, while notes such as one by Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski suggest that Bryant will attempt to lure Love to town, make for a volatile environment in which speculation and rumor will not cease on this matter.

Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images

Los Angeles is a mess right now but is actually doing things the right way for the first time in a long time.

General manager Mitch Kupchak and the front office actually reek of patience for once instead of the instant-gratification method most are so accustomed to seeing from the organization. There was no big-ticket free agent this past offseason, and the team actually had a top-10 pick.

Things look bad at face value. The team is 5-14. But injuries have plagued the roster. Steve Nash is out for the year, as is a large chunk of the young foundation, Julius Randle and Xavier Henry. Another chunk is Ryan Kelly, who also continues to rehab and watch from the sidelines.

This current trajectory is good for the Lakers, though. A youthful approach to roster building for once will pay off in the long run and leave the team in a steady financial situation, especially if Bryant continues to play and finishes his career in Los Angeles while commanding top dollar.

Love is a great addition. No way around that fact. There is an outside chance he can lure even more talent to Los Angeles should he decide to ink a max contract there. But that presumes Love wants to make the move, and as of late the team that is suddenly the little brother in Los Angeles does not seem all that attractive.

Dwight Howard packed up and left. So did Pau Gasol. With Bryant—going on 20 years as a member of the team—still on board, there seems to be little desire for free agents to head to a situation in which they play second fiddle in a brutal Western Conference.

Right now the Lakers have the right idea. Get young and cost effective and then land a major talent to supplement a strong core. Not the other way around.

Besides, Love is running with LeBron James in a weak conference and gets the same money there. He sounds ready to shun the Lakers, a team that has finally seemed to turn its back on the old way of building a roster. 

For now, the long-term approach to roster building is the best avenue for the Lakers. 

All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.