Cavaliers News

"The Cavaliers announced the signing of Darnell Jackson, their second-round draft pick out of Kansas, on Saturday. Terms were not disclosed, but it is believed Jackson will make the rookie league minimum, $440,000, if he makes the team in training camp. He was picked 52nd overall by the Miami Heat and then traded to the Cavs on draft night for a future second-round pick. The 6-foot-8, 250-pound forward averaged 11.2 points and 6.7 rebounds for the JayHawks last season. He averaged 5.8 points and 5.4 rebounds in summer league."

"The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed forward Darnell Jackson to a contract, Cavaliers General Manager Danny Ferry announced today. Per team and league policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. The Cavaliers acquired the rights to Jackson during the 2008 NBA Draft from the Miami Heat in exchange for the lower of the Cavaliers two second round picks in the 2009 NBA Draft. The 22-year-old, 6-foot-8, 250-pound forward averaged 11.2 points on .626 shooting and a team-high 6.7 rebounds in 40 games (35 starts) in 24.3 minutes per game his senior year at Kansas, playing a key role in the Jayhawks winning the 2008 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship. Jackson played for the Cavaliers’ team during ..."

"The Cavaliers have signed veteran center Lorenzen Wright to a contract, General Manager Danny Ferry announced Friday. Per team and league policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed, but NBA sources indicated it was a one-year deal for the veteran's minimum of $1.2 million. Wright, 32, played 13 games last season with the Atlanta Hawks and five games with the Sacramento Kings. The 6-11, 255-pound center was drafted out of Memphis by the L.A. Clippers with the seventh overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft and has played in 761 career games (445 starts). He averages 8.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. He is expected to fill the role vacated when forward Joe Smith was traded in the deal ..."

"The Cavaliers are close to signing free agent forward/center Lorenzen Wright and second-round draft choice Darnell Jackson, according to an NBA source. The deals could be announced as early as today. Cavs General Manager Danny Ferry declined to comment Thursday night. Wright will act as a replacement for Joe Smith, who was sent away as part of the three-team trade with Milwaukee and Memphis that brought Mo Williams to the Cavs. Wright gives the Cavs some insurance up front as a backup for Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Ben Wallace, and can be a complement to Anderson Varejao. His presence should allow the team to bring rookie J.J. Hickson along more slowly instead of forcing him into the lineup. ..."

"David Kalb was more anxious than nervous Wednesday. After nearly two hours of waiting and shooting baskets on Venice Beach's famed blue court, he wanted to see the competition. "I was interested to see how big he was," Kalb said. Kalb's opponent eventually emerged from a black Excursion, all 6 feet, 8 inches and 250 pounds, wearing the latest in his signature shoe line and a skin-tight sleeveless basketball shirt that showcased his muscular arms. "He's a big dude," Kalb said. The dude was Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James, who showed up to play Kalb, a warehouse manager from La Habra, in the Cub Cadet Trick Shot Challenge. Kalb was selected by James, who chose his trick shot video from ..."

"The Cavaliers might be close to adding another piece to their roster. Looking for depth and experience on their front line, a league source said, the team is near a deal with veteran big man Lorenzen Wright. A contract could be completed in the next few days. Wright spent last season with the Atlanta Hawks and Sacramento Kings, playing in 18 games overall. He averaged 0.8 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. The Cavs talked to him last summer before he signed with the Hawks and later was traded. The 6-foot-11 veteran of 12 NBA seasons can play forward or center and has been a solid rebounder during his career. His career averages are 8.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. If a contract is ..."

"What would you do to win a chance to play against LeBron James? Could you throw a ball against a wall and have it bounce back and through a hoop on a forklift that is slowly spinning in a circle? David Kalb of La Habra, Calif., did. Kalb, who is originally from Ohio and whose parents still live in Bucyrus, used that stunt to win LeBron's Trick Shot Challenge sponsored by Cub Cadet. Judges named Kalb's shot one of the nine best entries, and fans narrowed the field to three. James picked the winner and faced -- and lost to -- Kalb on Wednesday afternoon at Venice Beach, Calif. Kalb also won $5,000 worth of Cub Cadet equipment. James has had a busy visit to California. On Tuesday, he and ..."

"Is this what Joe Dumars meant by roster changes? Rock Financial -- the southeast Michigan arm of Livonia-based Quicken Loans -- won't renew its presenting sponsorship of the Pistons, ending a five-year run at the Palace. The company has decided to channel its national marketing toward the Cleveland Cavaliers, who happen to be owned by Quicken Loans chairman and founder Dan Gilbert. Keep it in the house, right? But Quicken isn't cutting Pistons ties completely. "While Rock Financial is not renewing the presenting sponsorship, we remain a local Pistons sponsor," company spokeswoman Elizabeth Jones said in an e-mail. How the Lions stack up• The Sports Illustrated NFL preview issue has the ..."

"New Cavaliers point guard Mo Williams said all the right things. In his first conference call with reporters after being obtained from Milwaukee in a six-player, three-team deal Wednesday, Williams wanted to talk about defense. Though he was brought in to help take some of the offensive burden off LeBron James, Williams already knows that his defense is what will keep him on the floor in coach Mike Brown's system. "I'm excited about the opportunity to come in and get back to my defensive plays that I grew up seeing and doing," Williams said. "It has been kind of different the last few years for me in terms of defense. "I have the gifts to do it. You've got to want to do it. You've got ..."

"It's going to be some time before the Cavaliers know whether their latest roster shake-up will work, but the snap reaction from the franchise's most important voice was warm. Half a world away, LeBron James expressed plenty of optimism after hearing that General Manager Danny Ferry pulled off a trade Wednesday to bring in point guard Mo Williams from the Milwaukee Bucks. Ferry said he had talked to James and several other Cavs scattered across the country - and globe - in the past week while the deal was in the works. ''It can help us. I think Mo is a very good point guard,'' James said today in Beijing after Team USA beat Greece 92-69 in Olympics pool play, a game in which he scored 13 ..."

"Mo Williams, former point guard of the Milwaukee Bucks, thought he landed in a decent spot when he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. Williams said he was surprised when he heard he had been traded by the Bucks in a three-team deal that brought Oklahoma City's Luke Ridnour to Milwaukee. The deal also meant the departure of popular Bucks forward Desmond Mason to the new Oklahoma franchise. But hey, by the way, Mo, you're now playing with LeBron James. "They didn't trade me to one of the worst places in the world," Williams said Thursday in a conference call with reporters. "I really loved the city of Milwaukee; I've got season tickets to the Brewers. But if you're going to ..."

"Desmond Mason is coming back to Oklahoma City. In a three-team trade expected to be announced later tonight, Oklahoma City will acquire Mason from the Milwaukee Bucks and veteran forward Joe Smith from the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to NBA sources. Oklahoma City will send point guard Luke Ridnour and Adrian Griffin to Milwaukee. To complete the deal, Milwaukee will send point guard Mo Williams to Cleveland. The Cavs are also sending Damon Jones to the Bucks. Mason, the former Oklahoma State standout who played in Oklahoma City from 2005-07 as a member of the temporarily-displaced New Orleans Hornets from 2005-07, has career averages of 12.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists. Mason, ..."

"Point guards are worth their weight in golden sneakers, we always hear. The Cavaliers have been looking for a good one since Andre Miller was here. LeBron James lobbied hard last season for them to outbid Dallas for Jason Kidd. Now in his dotage, Kidd doesn't even look to shoot on the Olympic team. How playing him with Ben Wallace and Anderson Varejao would have helped is unclear. Besides, in the crunch, James will have the ball because that is how he is most effective. Just as Michael Jordan had it in Chicago, even though point guard was never his job description. Same with Paul Pierce with the champion Celtics. Same with Kobe Bryant with the Lakers. But now the team has its nominal ..."

"Cavaliers General Manager Danny Ferry insisted Wednesday's acquisition of point guard Mo Williams from the Milwaukee Bucks would not change anything as far as restricted free-agent point guard Delonte West was concerned. "This changes nothing on the Delonte front," Ferry said in a conference call with reporters to announce the six-player, three-team deal. "We like him very much and remain hopeful that we'll find a common ground on a contract. This trade was more about being pro-active to improve the team, to create more scoring and to add depth. Those are things that are important to us going forward." But one can't help wonder whether West feels the same way after the Cavs got Williams ..."

"Any doubts about general manager John Hammond shaking up the Bucks roster have been dispelled, as he traded point guard Mo Williams to the Cleveland Cavaliers today and forward Desmond Mason to Oklahoma City in a three-team deal that brought Oklahoma City point guard Luke Ridnour to the Bucks. The Bucks also received guard Damon Jones and his expiring contract and swingman Adrian Griffin in the deal, getting Jones from Cleveland and Griffin from Oklahoma City. The Cavaliers sent veteran forward Joe Smith to Oklahoma City as part of the trade. Williams goes to Cleveland, which has been searching for several years for a legitimate point guard to team with star LeBron James. The 6-foot-1 ..."

"It would be unthinkable for a top-level NBA star to leave and play in Europe. (But if anyone did, it's not hard to imagine it would be LeBron James.) Just as it was unthinkable for an American Olympic team with NBA players to lose the gold. (Bronze in 2004.) Just as it was unthinkable for an international player to be the NBA's Most Valuable Player (Dirk Nowitzki, 2007) or to be the NBA's top draft pick (Yao Ming, Andrew Bogut, Andrea Bargnani). In an ESPN.com poll, 70 percent of voters, many of them perhaps prematurely despondent Clevelanders, said they expected a big NBA star to jump to Europe. Will it happen? Probably not. Is it remotely possible? Absolutely. European basketball ..."

"Take heart, Cavaliers fans. About 1.3 billion people think Carlos Boozer lied, too. Or at least that he has an oddly shaped head. In honor of the Beijing Olympics, which began Friday, The Plain Dealer sought to honor the ancient wisdom of China by unearthing some of the culture's nicknames for NBA players - since hoops is so popular in the Far East. Our Chosen One, LeBron James, is "Xiao Huang Di," which means Little Emperor. That's a translation of his "King James" nickname, but interestingly is also the name of a syndrome that afflicts an excessively spoiled only child in China. Hey, we just report the facts. According to Bao Renjun, a reporter for the Cleveland-based Erie Chinese ..."

"My friend Pam the Attorney heard today that LeBron James might consider a boffo financial offer to play for a professional team in Greece. ''Good,'' Pam the Attorney said. ''He thinks he's a Greek god anyway.'' Let two things be known here: Pam the Attorney sees that gigantic portrait of James quite often during the week, and she spoke after being stiffed for lunch (not by James, mind you). That being said, a lot of folks who follow the Cavs might feel they got stiffed if the latest news/speculation/innuendo/word on the street about James and this Greek team comes to fruition. Two years, $100 million. That's supposedly what Olympiakos, a team in Athens, is talking about offering James if ..."

"The NBA today released its complete game schedule and broadcast schedules of ABC, TNT, ESPN and NBA on ESPN Radio for the 2008-09 season. The NBA's Countdown to Tip-Off 08 presented by Kia Motors has begun with opening night 83 days away. The 2008-09 season tips off on TNT, which marks Turner Sports’ 25th season of NBA game action, with a doubleheader on Tuesday, Oct. 28, that features the Boston Celtics opening up defense of their NBA championship by hosting 2007-08 NBA scoring champion LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers at 8 p.m. ET. The second game features the first regular season game for the top overall selection in the 2007 NBA Draft presented by Sprite Greg Oden and the ..."

"Bron-Bron should listen to the coin offers. There's talk a European team will make an outrageous financial offer to Cleveland's LeBron James when he's expected to become a free agent in the summer of 2010. A number of lower-level NBA players (Atlanta's Josh Childress', Orlando's Carlos Arroyo and Milwaukee's Earl Boykins) have signed deals with European teams this summer. It's been reported CSKA Moscow of Russia and Olympiacos of Greece have made James aware they have interest. James also should have interest, if he truly wants to become a global icon, as he has said he wants to be. The NBA salary cap will preclude teams from offering yearly salaries higher than $20 million or so for five ..."

"Jay-Z and the New Jersey Nets? Mike D'Antoni and the New York Knicks? Heck, the Cleveland Cavaliers' strongest competition for LeBron James' long-term services could be the deep-pocketed new kid on the block -- Europe. A person close to James said Tuesday that the Cavaliers' superstar would strongly consider playing overseas if he was offered a salary of "around $50 million a year." James' current contract expires after the 2009-10 season, and while several NBA teams are working to create salary cap space for his impending free agency, none could offer a contract beginning at even $20 million a year. The Russian team CSKA Moscow and the Greek team Olympiacos, which recently gave Josh ..."

"Tarence Kinsey should fit right in with the Cavaliers. "Defense is what gets me going," the 6-6 guard said in a phone interview Monday after signing with the Cavs. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Kinsey, 24, split last season with the Memphis Grizzlies and with Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul of the Turkish Basketball League. In 11 games with Memphis, he averaged 3.6 points on .421 percent shooting and 1.1 rebounds in 8.7 minutes per game. He averaged 9.2 points in 14 regular-season games with Fenerbahce Ulker. "Tarence is a talented young perimeter player that has good length and athleticism," Cavaliers General Manager Danny Ferry said. "He has shown an ability to be an effective ..."

"The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed guard Tarence Kinsey to a contract, Cavaliers General Manager Danny Ferry announced today. Per team and league policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. Kinsey, 24, split last season with the Memphis Grizzlies and with Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul of the Turkish Basketball League. In 11 games with Memphis, he averaged 3.6 points on .421 shooting and 1.1 rebounds in 8.7 minutes per game. He averaged 9.2 points in 14 regular season games with Fenerbahce Ulker and posted averages of 8.8 points on .492 shooting and 2.8 rebounds in 12 Euroleague games. “Tarence is a talented young perimeter player that has good length and athleticism,” Ferry said. “He has ..."

"In other news, a report in Tuesday's Willoughby [Ohio] News-Herald quotes a league source as saying the Cavaliers "have talked to" restricted free agent guard Lou Williams. Williams "has reportedly turned down a contract starting at $3.9 million from the Sixers," according to the story. But the best Cleveland would be able to do is a contract starting at $3.65 million, and that can't happen until ex-Sixer Eric Snow's impending injury retirement opens up half of his $7.3 million salary. The only other way the Cavs, who are considerably above the salary cap, could obtain Williams, a fourth-year pro who averaged 11.5 points last season, would be in a sign-and-trade deal. Williams earned ..."

"With athletes prepared to march into Beijing, China, for the Olympics, it's hard to miss the cover of this week's Time magazine featuring an all-serious LeBron James on the cover. Yes, that's the cover of Time. Not Sports Illustrated. Time. Not Sporting News. Time. That is when you know you have made an impact. The magazine chose the Cavaliers superstar as its No. 1 athlete to watch at the Olympics. That makes sense, given that I'm probably not in the minority when I say that the only sport I'll follow religiously during this Olympiad is the basketball competition. Sean Gregory's breezy piece includes something that shows that James, 23, might be evolving into someone willing to put ..."

"The Browns opened training camp Wednesday, so it's a good time to catch up on the Cavs . . . First-round draft choice J.J. Hickson made quite an impression during the Cavs' summer league games in Las Vegas, which ended this week. ''Wow,'' wrote ESPN.com. ''He did everything that can be asked of him, within a flow that resembles what he'll face during the regular season. Hickson has a monster body, good activity and a mature face-up game — pretty special for a soon-to-be 20-year-old.'' The Charlotte Observer had a headline that read: ''Cavs find gem in Wolfpack's Hickson.'' ''Hickson is a low-post, back-to-the-basket scorer, and those are rare these days with every 6-foot-10 forward ..."

"Bob Richards, the first ath lete to appear on a Whea ties box, gave the Soviet Union its first fiberglass poles just before a dual track meet with the Evil Empire in 1960. "They couldn't get any good ones," he said. "Boy, did that ever boomerang on the U.S.A.!" Americans won the Olympic pole vault on fiberglass poles in 1964 and 1968, then did not win again - in part because communist nations mastered the learning curve - until 2000. While Richards was a sportsman without borders, more obvious motives led the NBA to export its top American stars to the Olympics in 1992. The NBA wanted to sell its merchandise globally and create huge new television markets. But the same thing happened ..."

"Odds are that LeBron James won't opt to skip across the pond to play in the shadow of the Parthenon or next door to a snow-covered Red Square when he is a free agent in two years. But at the rate that NBA players are bolting basketball's premier professional league for more lucrative deals overseas, the suggestion is no longer considered preposterous. "Who's to say?" NBA agent Marc Cornstein said. "He is a global icon. If some team overseas decides to throw 20 million euro at him, which is the equivalent of about $32 million, well, I can't say it's impossible." According to a report on Yahoo!, Cavaliers restricted free agent Delonte West is mulling a two-year, $10 million offer to play ..."

"Cleveland's No. 1 pick J.J. Hickson scored a game-high 24 points but it was not enough as the Cavs lost to the Milwaukee Bucks, 88-72, Sunday in the final NBA Summer League game. Hickson scored 11 of the Cavaliers' 25 first-quarter points. He finished the game 10-of-17 from the field with five rebounds. Clay Tucker and Romel Beck each chipped in with 14 points for the Cavs."

"Five players scored in double figures as the New Orleans Hornets defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 79-78, Saturday night in an NBA Summer League game in Las Vegas. Clay Tucker scored a game-high 23 points, J.J. Hickson scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and Romel Beck added 16 points to lead the Cavaliers (0-4). Bobby Brown has 15 points for the Hornets (4-1)."

"Andray Blatche registered 22 points, including the go-ahead dunk with 1:04 left, to lead the Washington Wizards to a 72-69 victory over the Cavaliers in NBA Summer League play in Las Vegas. First-round pick J.J. Hickson had 12 points and nine rebounds for the Cavaliers, but missed two free throws with 43 seconds left and Cleveland trailing by one. Forward Romel Beck led the Cavs with 13 points and Clay Tucker scored 11."

"Daniel "Boobie" Gibson admitted he lost a lot of sleep after missing the last two games of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics. Gibson suffered a separated shoulder in Game 5, and the Celtics went on to beat the Cavs in seven games en route to winning the NBA title. "It feels like I let my guys down," Gibson said. But in an effort to make sure he's on board for any future successes, Gibson signed a five-year, $20.8 million deal with the team on Tuesday night. "We're excited to have Daniel back," Cavs General Manager Danny Ferry said in a conference call with reporters on Wednesday."

"The Cavaliers signed restricted free-agent guard Daniel Gibson to a five-year contract today, securing the services of someone whom they view as integral to the team's future success. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. ''Daniel conveyed from day one of this free-agency thing that he wanted to remain with the team and was excited about where we were going as a team and really enjoyed his two years in Cleveland thus far,'' Cavs General Manager Danny Ferry said. ''In signing him, it really allows us to maximize the opportunity to create a core of young players and, at the same time, build on the continuity that we feel could be important for teams trying to compete for a ..."

"The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed guard Daniel Gibson to a five-year contract. Gibson's signing on Wednesday is the Cavaliers' first major move of the offseason. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Gibson averaged a career-high 10.4 points on 43 percent shooting last season. He sprained his left ankle in a Feb. 20 game at Indiana and missed 18 games. Gibson had arthroscopic surgery last month on the ankle and is expected to be ready for training camp."

"Dru Joyce III and Romeo Travis know people will think that they're on the Cavaliers' summer league roster only because of their long friendship with LeBron James. But they don't care. "That stuff doesn't bother me," said Joyce, a 6-0, 165-pound point guard. "Everybody is going to hold their own opinion. It's up to me to play the game the way I know how and be successful. Maybe I might change people's opinions, but if not, it doesn't really matter to me.""

"Cleveland Cavaliers assistant John Kuester was on a roll Monday, thinking up new ways to praise rookie J.J. Hickson. “We're talking about an N.C. State guy, and I'm still saying nice things,” former Tar Heel Kuester joked. “He's that great a kid.” And seemingly that good a prospect. Hickson looked spectacular during a 97-94 summer-league loss to the New York Knicks, with 26 points and nine rebounds. He made 11 of 15 shots from the field and generated seven trips to the foul line. If that's indicative of his scoring at the next level, he'll be a steal by the Cavaliers with the 18th overall pick. Hickson wasn't the least surprised by his quick impact."

"Cavaliers first-round pick J.J. Hickson had 26 points and nine rebounds, but a balanced attack led the New York Knicks to a 97-94 summer-league victory Monday in Las Vegas. Hickson, a 6-9 power forward from North Carolina State who was playing at center, was 11-of-15 from the floor."

"There have been times, Robert "Tractor" Traylor admitted, when he thought his NBA career was finished. Now he's not so sure. The popular former Cavalier, who most recently played in the league in 2005, will play with the Cavs' summer league team in Las Vegas next week. It is the second time in the past eight months the Cavs have taken a look at Traylor. Last December, he worked out for the Cavs before Anderson Varejao settled his contract dispute and joined the team. Traylor wound up returning to Puerto Rico, where he has played the past two seasons."

"Consider it the two-year tease. It's a game played with a wink and a grin, one that could prove as compelling as anything on NBA courts over the next two seasons. Sunday, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James were winking and grinning before participating in the Zo's Summer Groove charity game at AmericanAirlines Arena. The punchline? The summer of 2010, when Wade, James and several other top-tier NBA players can become free agents, such as Kobe Bryant, Amare Stoudemire and Chris Bosh. "We're just going to joke about it for the next two years until that time comes," Wade said. "So, it's going to be an exciting year for the NBA, but it's two years away." For fans, it could be two years ..."

"The Cavaliers are in a battle on a different kind of court this month, and LeBron James can't help them in this fight. The Cavs and sister company Flash Seats are being sued in U.S. District Court in Cleveland by Ticketmaster, the leader of the ticket-sales industry. Ticketmaster says the Cavs violated their contract with the company when the basketball team established Flash Seats as a way for people to buy, sell or swap tickets. "For each ticket sold through Flash Seats that otherwise would have been sold through Ticketmaster, Ticketmaster loses revenue," lawyer Robert Platt said in the lawsuit. The central issue in the case is whether an unsold ticket in an area designated for ..."

"On June 29, James told WKNR 850's Mark "Munch" Bishop, "I'm dedicated to bringing a championship to this city. I'm bringing a parade to this city. I love this city. I love Northeast Ohio. Right now, I can't see myself going anywhere else." The next week, he called New York his favorite city and Brooklyn his favorite borough in it. Since the Nets are to move to Brooklyn in time for James' free-agency season in 2010, and since James' friend, the rapper Jay-Z, has a small part of the Nets' ownership, this was proof that James was halfway out The Q's door."

"OK, Jawad Williams will admit it. He's excited about being invited to play with the Cavaliers' summer league team that will compete in Las Vegas next week."

"First-round draft choice J.J. Hickson of North Carolina State agreed to terms with the Cavaliers on a contract Thursday, one day before leaving to play with the Cavs' summer league team in Las Vegas."

"Rod Thorn brought the Nets out of the wilderness once, so is trusted by Bruce Ratner to do it again. But it's not the owner, actually LeBron James, who will be the ultimate judge of Yi Jianlian, Devin Harris, Sean Williams and whatever other pieces Thorn has in place by 2010. Whether from Brooklyn, Manhattan or Oklahoma City, the free-agent-to-be James will get his basketball money to the max. Hardly does LeBron needs to play two blocks or one borough away from Madison Avenue to be any more the recognizable pitchman he already is. If James's good buddy Jay-Z is part-owner of a bad team because Yi hasn't amounted to much more than a 7-foot hill of string beans, the Nets will pay big ..."

"The dominoes started to fall around 10 p.m. Tuesday, about two hours before NBA free agents could officially sign contracts. Forward Elton Brand shunned the Los Angeles Clippers and apparently accepted a five-year deal worth $82 million from the Philadelphia 76ers. Former Clipper Corey Maggette reportedly agreed to a five-year contract with the Golden State Warriors worth about $50 million. That means Twinsburg's James Posey now is in the driver's seat. Posey, fresh off helping the Boston Celtics win the NBA championship, looms as the biggest name in the free-agent sweepstakes. The Cavaliers are interested, and Posey's agent, Mark Bartelstein, acknowledged talks with Cavs ..."

"LeBron James told media at a USA Basketball function that New York was his favorite city and Brooklyn his favorite borough. Did you see James play to the fans? He ran to the crowd like he'd just been selected to guess the cost of a toaster oven on "The Price is Right." Some saw this as another shot across Danny Ferry's bow, reminding the Cavs GM that he's on the clock. The question they might want to ask is this: What if James is messing with everybody, New Yorkers included? What if this is another form of the remote control Hummer from his high school days?"

"Cavaliers fans weren't overjoyed with the selection of young North Carolina State forward J.J. Hickson with the No. 19 pick in the NBA draft last week, but two of three national writers gave the team high grades after picking up Hickson and then trading for the rights to Kansas forwards Darnell Jackson and Sasha Kaun. Chad Ford of ESPN.com gave the Cavs an A-minus. Wrote Ford: "Hickson has been one of my sleepers in the draft. He has an NBA body and great athleticism, and he can play inside and out. His game needs to develop, but the raw tools are impressive. He could be a nice long-term replacement for Joe Smith. At No. 19, he was one of the few players left on the board with a ..."

"In two years, it's a done deal: LeBron James absolutely, definitely without question will be playing for the New Jersey soon-to-be Brooklyn Nets. Gotta be, because James is big buds with Nets minor owner Jay-Z. Wait a minute, he wears a Yankees cap and once said Madison Square Garden was one of his favorite arenas. That settles it. In the summer of 2010, James will be signing with the Knicks. Listen to the talking heads on TV, most of whom don't believe James actually likes Northeast Ohio. They can't imagine anyone really wanting to live here. We're Devil's Island, only with worse weather. So James has to leave, because they would leave if they were James. Some media types ..."