Coach Tyronn Lue has agreed to a five-year contract with the Cavaliers, a league source confirmed to the Beacon Journal. The Vertical reported the deal is worth $35 million and ESPN reported the first four years are fully guaranteed.
Lue, 39, never signed a new contract after taking over for David Blatt in January in part because the two sides couldn't agree on a figure. The reported figure ranks Lue among the highest paid coaches in the league after the Cavs made him the league's highest paid assistant two years ago when they pried him away from the Los Angeles Clippers to become Blatt's top assistant.
Lue guided the Cavs to their first championship in franchise history last month and the city's first title in 52 years. His reported salary will far surpass anything he made as an NBA player; Lue totaled $21.3 million in 11 seasons, according to basketball-reference.com.
Owner Dan Gilbert still owes former coach Mike Brown the balance of the five-year, $20 million deal he signed in 2013. Blatt signed a four-year deal worth as much as $20 million a year later, although Blatt's $20 million figure included a number of incentives. It's unclear how much of his figure was guaranteed.
Lue's new deal is believed to put him behind only Doc Rivers, Gregg Popovich and Tom Thibodeau in terms of highest paid coaches. Thibodeau signed a five-year, $40 million deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the spring, although he is also president of basketball operations and has full control.
Lue's contract is on par with Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle, who signed a five-year, $35 million deal prior to last season. Carlisle, like Lue, has won a championship as a coach.
Washington Wizards coach Scott Brooks and Detroit Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy are also working on five-year, $35 million deals. Brooks took over the Wizards after the season, and Van Gundy (like Thibodeau) is also the team's president of basketball operations and has full control.
The only active head coaches who have won championships are Rivers and Popovich _ who each make more than $10 million annually _ Erik Spoelstra, Steve Kerr, Carlisle and Lue.
