NBA James close to signing contract



The top pick in the NBA draft is looking at a three-year deal worth close to $13 million.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- LeBron James has already been delivered to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Now they just have to sign him.
Cavaliers general manager Jim Paxson had face-to-face talks on Wednesday with James' agent, Aaron Goodwin, and said the sides were close to finalizing a deal.
"I'm optimistic we can get this done quickly," Paxson said.
James was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft last week by the Cavaliers, who may have saved their franchise by getting the Akron high school phenom.
Cleveland, which went 17-65 in 2002-03, has lost at least 50 games in each of the past four seasons, and the club's attendance has dropped significantly.
James is expected to help the Cavaliers on both fronts. The team has been inundated with season-ticket requests since winning the May 22 draft lottery and the rights to take James.
Paxson would not discuss any specifics of his discussions with Goodwin, but said they had not encountered any obstacles before Wednesday, and the GM didn't anticipate anything from preventing James from being signed before the holiday weekend.
Goodwin, who flew in Wednesday from Oakland, Calif., did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment.
Summer plans
James is scheduled to play for the Cavaliers summer league team in Orlando and Boston later this month. The team will leave for Florida on Saturday and practice that night. James is expected to play in his first exhibition game on July 8 in Orlando.
When he does sign, James, who already has endorsement deals worth more than $100 million, will get a three-year deal worth $12.96 million from the Cavaliers as per the league's collective bargaining agreement.
The Cavs will have a fourth-year option that will boost the package to $18.79 million.
Second-round pick Jason Kapono also is unsigned but will play in the summer leagues, Paxson said. Last year's second-round pick, Carlos Boozer, didn't sign with the Cavaliers until Aug. 7.
Price plan
Paxson also confirmed that undrafted Oklahoma guard Hollis Price will be on the Cavs' summer league roster. The 6-foot-1 Price averaged 18 points and was named a second-team All-American by The Associated Press.
The Cavaliers need a point guard and Price could help them fill that role.
Paxson said he spent Tuesday talking with the agents of some prospective free agents. Teams cannot begin signing players until July 16, but Paxson said he'll spend the next two weeks checking the market to see if there are any fits for the Cavaliers.
While waiting for James to sign, the Cavaliers did announce that coach Paul Silas has added his son, Stephen, and former Golden State assistant Mark Osowski to his staff.
Stephen Silas, 29, has worked the past two seasons on his father's staff with Charlotte/New Orleans.
Osowski worked as an assistant with the Hornets along with Silas, who replaced Dave Cowens as head coach midway through the 1998-99 season. Osowski spent the past three seasons with the Warriors.

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