Cleveland Cavaliers v Minnesota Timberwolves

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love drives against the Timberwolves in a game last month. Love said Tuesday he wants to be with the Cavaliers long term.

(Thomas Ondrey, The Plain Dealer)

PHOENIX, Ariz. - Even though the Cleveland Cavaliers have gotten off to a mediocre 19-19 start, power forward Kevin Love told Northeast Ohio Media Group on Tuesday that he plans to forgo free agency this summer and opt in with the Cavaliers for the 2015-16 season.

"I think that we will figure it out here, so I don't plan on opting out or any of that," Love told NEOMG. "I plan on being here. As far as leaving my options open, I mean sure, it's always there. At the end of the day, it's always good to have something but no, I plan on being here."

By picking up his $16.7 million player option for 2015-16, Love, 26, would stay with the Cavs until at least the summer of 2016. That would allow him to sign a new contract just in time to tap into the expected spike in television revenue before the 2016-17 season.

Love says he's committed to the Cavaliers organization and stressed that while he's still trying to find his niche with the team, it will have no bearing on his future arrangements.

"I've said all along that I plan on being a Cavalier long-term," Love said without hesitation. "As we continue to evolve, my role will continue to evolve. It's still a process where I'm figuring it out."

Many executives anticipated Love would test free agency this summer.

The All-Star power forward has had to adjust the most of the Big Three, because the position he plays relies to much on players finding him in the right spots. At times he has shown flashes of mastering his role, and other times he has looked puzzled.

He said he believes in this talented roster and has confidence in the ultra-aggressive front office. To Love, it's only a matter of time before things start to click.

"We'll eventually figure it out," he said. "I think for the whole team, it's not what we expected, but I think once we get back to a full lineup things will be different."

LeBron James is trying to work his way back into the lineup after sitting out the last several days with nagging knee and back injuries.

In the meantime, Love is in the process of doing his part to improve his production on the court.

He's not the only one who notices his touches seem to diminish as the game goes on, especially in the fourth quarter. Cavs coach David Blatt makes a concerted effort to force feed his big man in the opening quarter, but after that, Love tends to get lost.

Love said he has been studying film more than in years past to find ways he can be more effective. In one of those film sessions, he realized that he doesn't have anyone to blame but himself and that he needs to call for the ball on some occasions.

"In a lot of ways I have to demand the ball more, but a lot of it is being more engaged too," he said. "It's a number of things that I can do in the second half, even moreso in the fourth quarter, to get more engaged. But I think LeBron coming back will help that and as time goes on, we'll continue to evolve how we're playing."

Blatt wouldn't allow Love to place all of the responsibility on himself.

"I think we could have done a better job getting it to him and as he said, he's got to do a better job demanding it, but it's both," Blatt said. "It's not one thing."

The city of Cleveland may start to see glimpses of Love roaming the streets, surveying the landscape. Love, who admits to being a "homebody," says he's challenging himself to step out of his comfort zone to integrate with the community. Last week at Cleveland's East Tech High School, he launched a a program intended to inspire students to perform acts of kindness and volunteerism.

He didn't fully settle into his residence until late December, and now with that accomplished, the next step is mingling and getting familiar with his surroundings.

"It takes me a while," he said. "When I was in Minnesota I had to figure out the city because I wasn't going anywhere with my teammates really. If they were going out to dinner or going out after games, I would stay home. Eventually I was able to make friends there outside of the team, and I'll probably do that in Cleveland as well."

A commitment from Love would go a long way for the well being of the franchise. He says he has bought in and wants to immerse himself into the culture and the direction of the Cavaliers.

Love also has a plan for on the court.

"I pride myself my entire career on being efficient, so I'm going to look to be more efficient in the second half of the season for my team," Love said.