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Via Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com
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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cavs played it extremely smart by using their first moments of free agency to make a dramatic gesture to Kyrie Irving.
The result was the Cavs All-Star guard agreeing to a five-year, $90 million maximum contract extension. It happened not long after midnight, when Cavs Owner Dan Gilbert, General Manager David Griffin and Coach David Blatt went to New Jersey to meet with Irving.
It was the first move of the free agency season for the Cavs, and the symbolic gesture not only spoke loudly to Irving -- but to the entire NBA.
The Cavs are working hard to keep one of their own, a 21-point scorer who was the MVP of the 2014 All-Star game.
It's not just about a possible courtship of LeBron James, although James looms over so many franchises in July every time he becomes a free agent.
It is to say to any free agent, "We are building something here. We got Kyrie to extend. We drafted Andrew Wiggins. We've got salary cap money. We've got some good young players."
A year ago, it was Washington's John Wall who agreed to a five-year extension. The top pick in the 2010 draft, Wall then led his team into the second round of the NBA playoffs./
The result was the Cavs All-Star guard agreeing to a five-year, $90 million maximum contract extension. It happened not long after midnight, when Cavs Owner Dan Gilbert, General Manager David Griffin and Coach David Blatt went to New Jersey to meet with Irving.
It was the first move of the free agency season for the Cavs, and the symbolic gesture not only spoke loudly to Irving -- but to the entire NBA.
The Cavs are working hard to keep one of their own, a 21-point scorer who was the MVP of the 2014 All-Star game.
It's not just about a possible courtship of LeBron James, although James looms over so many franchises in July every time he becomes a free agent.
It is to say to any free agent, "We are building something here. We got Kyrie to extend. We drafted Andrew Wiggins. We've got salary cap money. We've got some good young players."
A year ago, it was Washington's John Wall who agreed to a five-year extension. The top pick in the 2010 draft, Wall then led his team into the second round of the NBA playoffs./
