Kevin Love

Kevin Love's future will be one of the stories of the Cleveland Cavaliers' off-season.

(Joshua Gunter, Northeast Ohio Media Group)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers made their first move of the off-season, picking up the option on center Timofey Mozgov for the 2015-16 campaign.

There are a number of decisions still to come, with many in the hands of the players. Iman Shumpert, Matthew Dellavedova and Tristan Thompson are restricted free agents while LeBron James, J.R. Smith and Kevin Love have player options.

Cavs general manager David Griffin already expressed his desire to keep him team in place, citing a 33-3 record when the Big Three and New Three were on the court together. However, Zach Lowe from Grantland seems to have his doubts when it comes to Love and Cleveland's growing salary cap.

"If they bring everyone back at the expected rates, including LeBron and Love once they opt out, they will end up spending more than $200 million on payroll -- the largest figure in league history.

That would include spending $56 million, almost the entire salary cap, on three guys -- LeBron, Love, and Thompson -- who need heavy minutes at power forward. Blowing by the tax removes almost every path toward signing an outside free agent, and vacuums up lots of gold from Dan Gilbert's money bin.

Griffin has repeatedly said the Cavs plan to keep Love, but plugged-in executives around the league continue to predict the Cavs will sign-and-trade Love after advancing so far without him. That would unclutter the power forward spot, and if the Cavs can recoup rotation players and picks, they'd have to at least consider it."

Love suffered a dislocated left shoulder during Cleveland's first round closeout game against the Boston Celtics and watched as the Cavs ripped through the Eastern Conference, getting two wins from an NBA championship.

Then, of course, the Cavs also have a decision when it comes to Thompson, an easier call, according to Lowe.

"If I had to choose between Love and Thompson, I'd pick Love and work the sign-and-trade market for Thompson this summer -- a path that may be closed off to Griffin, given that Thompson and LeBron have the same agent. And if Gilbert were willing to barf up all that money, then I'd keep both -- even if the Love-LeBron fit has been awkward so far. If the Cavs choose Thompson over Love, they may end up regretting it, unless they can nab a killer bounty for Love. And Love opting into the final year of his contract might be the Cavs' worst nightmare. It would hang over their entire season like a cloud, with each day increasing the possibility Love walks for nothing in return."

Griffin referred to last year's off-season as "monumental." James returned, Kyrie Irving signed a maximum contract extension and the blockbuster trade for Love was finalized.

Given what's ahead in the coming weeks, this summer could be just as important. The Love decision will be tough.

More Cavs links

Five players in NBA Draft who could fit with Cavaliers (cleveland.com)

Matthew Dellavedova's rise prompts Hollywood production (cleveland.com)

NBA links

DeMarcus Cousins trade destinations and NBA Draft Buzz (CBSSports.com)

Celtics want to move up in the draft (ESPNBoston.com)

2015 NBA Draft: Team needs for every team (SI.com)

Phil Jackson trying to save Knicks (Bleacher Report)

The effects of being drafted No. 2 (BasketballInsiders.com)