By Mitch Chortkoff

Sports Editor

The Lakers have apparently lost a piece they were counting on to solve the puzzle created by compiling the worst record in their history.

Kevin Love, the former UCLA star, says he’s going to remain with the Cleveland Cavaliers next season despite his inability to play in the current NBA Finals due to a shoulder injury.

Love can opt out of his Cleveland contract and test the free agent market at the end of this month. The Lakers tried to acquire him when he left Minnesota for Cleveland a year ago and have been hot on his trail again.

“I’m staying with the Cavaliers,” Love said this week. “I love these guys and I want to win.”

This does not surprise me..

Whether or not the Cavaliers defeat the Golden State Warriors in the current Finals they figure as a strong contender again next season.

By contrast, the Lakers are encouraged by drawing the No. 2 position in the upcoming draft, but they have a long way to go following a 21-61 record this season.

In six seasons in Minnesota the Timberwolves didn’t make the playoffs. Now Love is happy to be with one of the NBA’s best teams.

After the Cavaliers lost to the Warriors in overtime of Game One Thursday night Love said “I wanted to play in this game more than any other game in my career. Instead, I watched the game and saw a lot of ways I could have helped.”

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In recent years former Laker Mychal Thompson, now a broadcaster with the team and a well-known Laker optimist, has told me Love would like to return to Los Angeles.

I respect Thompson a lot and often have dinner with him in the Staples Center media dining room prior to games. So I took it seriously when he was so confident Love might come here.

But apparently Love has placed winning above his thoughts of coming back to play in LA.

Being able to play on a team with LeBron James is a major reason why he’s become happy in Cleveland despite the fact there was a lot of turmoil on the Cavaliers this season.

The 6-foot-10 Love contributes superb outside shooting to the Cavaliers, and they’ve missed that dimension throughout the playoffs after Love was injured during the first round series against Boston.