Cavs Rumors: Buzz on LeBron James, Kevin Love and More Free Agents

Following the franchise's second appearance in the NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers have a wealth of roster questions to answer this summer. 

LeBron James, who did opt out of his contract on Sunday, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, is clearly the top priority. 

After James, though, Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson, J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert are also free agents. Not all of those players are likely to return, but the front office has a lot of work to do building a roster that can bring home that elusive championship. 

With Cavaliers general manager David Griffin facing a big summer, here's the latest word on what to expect from Cleveland. 

LeBron Sitting on the Sidelines

Even though James is Cleveland's biggest priority this offseason, he won't be the first player taken care of. 

According to Windhorst's report on ESPN.com, James' plan is to step back while Griffin deals with other players before re-signing with the team:

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Last week, Cavs general manager David Griffin said the team had been in regular contact with James since the end of the Finals and that he was "very engaged" in discussions about the roster. Sources told ESPN, however, it is James' intention to stay somewhat removed from the Cavs' free agency until other free agents are handled.

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Cleveland doesn't have to worry that James is going anywhere, as Windhorst cited ESPN colleague Chris Broussard, who said that the former NBA MVP doesn't plan to meet with other teams.

Even though James is free to meet with other teams, if he did so it would be more devastating to his public image than when he left Cleveland in 2010 because of the production he made of coming back last summer with the story told to Sports Illustrated's Lee Jenkins. 

It's also a smart move for James because the Cavaliers don't have to worry about losing their most prized asset. The team's free agents, as well as those from other teams, know where James stands and can decide if they want to play with him in Cleveland. 

Of course, as Windhorst also pointed out, expect this scenario to repeat itself next year because James is "expected" to sign another one-year deal with a player option before getting a huge contract when the NBA's new television deal increases maximum salaries. 

Kevin Love's Not-So Dramatic Summer

Assuming James is essentially a done deal, the biggest drama around Cleveland this offseason centers around Love. At least, it was supposed to. 

According to Fox Sports' Sam Amico, Love has given the Cavaliers indications that he plans on re-signing with the team:

Love didn't have the kind of season anyone expected in Cleveland. He averaged a solid 16.4 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, though there were many games he didn't play in the fourth quarter and struggled to become more of a catch-and-shoot player than pure ball-handler like he was in Minnesota. 

There was also a rift noted by Frank Isola of the New York Daily News in March between Love and James that could threaten the former's status in Cleveland. 

When Love opted out of his deal, ESPN.com's Marc Stein wrote that the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics and Portland Trail Blazers were among the teams likely to pursue the former All-Star. 

While those teams may still be in the mix, it makes sense that Cleveland would have the upper hand in the Love sweepstakes. The Cavaliers need to make sure they don't lose him one year after giving up a talented rookie in Andrew Wiggins to acquire him. 

Love has the chance to be part of a title-winning team if he re-signs, something that was taken away from him this season after suffering a shoulder injury early in the postseason. 

Despite the fact that Love and James aren't exchanging Christmas cards, sometimes the allure of a max contract and winning is enough to convince a 26-year-old that things aren't all bad. 

Outside Sources of Help

Tony Dejak/Associated Press

Working in-house is going to be big for Cleveland this offseason, but the team isn't strictly going to focus on its own players. 

According to Amico, the Cavaliers will be looking to add another veteran point guard and shooting guard or small forward:

It's going to be interesting to see how the Cavaliers balance their roster this summer. They fell apart against the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals because Love and Kyrie Irving suffering injuries in the playoffs crushed their depth.

That doesn't even take into account the loss of Anderson Varejao, who only appeared in 26 games during the regular season because of a torn Achilles tendon in his left ankle. 

Matthew Dellavedova did an admirable job of filling in for Irving in the Finals, but he's not the kind of player a team wants to rely on for a long period of time. 

Cleveland's star power should be fine next year, so it will be the back half of the roster that determines how far the team will go in the postseason. Another solid point guard to back up Irving and additional shooters will certainly help.