Cavs sign Tyronn Lue to five-year, $35 million extension

The NBA Champion Cavaliers’ offseason dominoes are finally starting to fall. This time it’s head coachTy Lue agreeing to a five-year deal worth $35 million to coach the team through 2022 according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical:

Lue, 39, coached the second half of last season and all of the playoffs under an interim tag on his assistant’s contract out of respect for David Blatt, who was relieved mid-season with the Cavaliers in first place in the East, but looking completely miserable 90 percent of the time. He became the second rookie head coach to win the NBA Finals defeating the first, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. He is also the only coach to lead a team back from a 3-1 Finals deficit. (Did you know the Warriors blew a 3-1 lead?) Lue was previously the NBA’s highest paid assistant and worked under that deal while head coach even after being offered an extension when hired.

This was expected, but provides a little clarity as to the path forward into August. Most of Lue’s assistants do not currently have contracts, and coached NBA Summer League for free waiting for this to get done. In addition to locking up the coaching staff, the next step is the long assumed return of LeBron James and also retaining J.R. Smith as well.