CLEVELAND — Shooting guard Daniel “Boobie” Gibson wanted to stay with the Cavaliers, and the team was eager to keep him in the fold.
It was only a matter of time before the parties agreed on a new contract.
That time arrived Wednesday, when Cleveland signed Gibson to a five-year deal that will keep him wearing the wine and gold through the 2012-13 season. The terms of the contract were not revealed, as per team and NBA policy, but it is believed to start at an annual salary of $3 million.
“Being here is a blessing. There is no better place to be at this time in my career,’’ said Gibson, who averaged 10.4 points per game and finished fifth in the NBA in 3-point percentage at .440 last season. “With the family atmosphere we have on the team and way the city of Cleveland embraces you, it makes you feel like you’re at home.’’
In just two seasons, the Houston native has grown from a little-known second-round draft pick into one of the most popular players on the Cavaliers. His warm smile, approachable nature and nickname have especially endeared him to young fans.
And at just 22 years old, Gibson figures to be a part of the team’s fabric for many seasons to come.
“Daniel has grown as a player, he’s got a great smile on the court and he can shoot the heck out of the ball,’’ Cleveland general manager Danny Ferry said. “He’s been great off the court, as well, and is exactly the kind of person we’re proud to have with us.’’
Gibson’s friendly facade, however, hides the heart of a fierce competitor who made an NBA All-Star Weekend record 11 3-pointers — and earned MVP honors — in the 2008 Rookie/Sophomore Game.
The 6-foot-2 sharpshooter also has the second-best career 3-point percentage in team history at .434, which ranks fifth all-time in the NBA among players with at least 170 3-pointers.
Cavaliers fans, though, remember his 25 second-half points against Detroit in Game 6 of the 2007 Eastern Conference finals, which sent Cleveland into the NBA Finals for the only time in franchise history.
“Daniel has continued to work hard and is all about the right things,’’ Ferry said. “He wants to win and he loves to play basketball. Having a guy like that as part of our culture is a big deal for us.’’
Gibson became a restricted free agent at the end of last season, but the Cavaliers retained his rights for an additional year by tendering him a minimum contract offer in June.
By virtue of his new deal, Gibson is locked up longer than anyone else on the roster. The majority of his teammates — including superstar LeBron James and center Zydrunas Ilgauskas — have contracts that expire after the 2009-2010 season.
That’s not a coincidence, as Cleveland wants as little money tied up as possible for James’ first foray into free agency, which would allow it to offer maximum deals to both “The Chosen One’’ and another of his All-Star friends two summers from now.
But as for the present, Gibson is happy to be playing with James and can’t wait to get back on the court with his surrogate “big brother.’’
“LeBron is happy I’ll still be a part of the organization,’’ Gibson said. “Not just him, though, all the guys are happy the way this worked out for me. We have a great group of guys who love to play together and want to win championships. That’s what every player wants to be a part of.’’

 Healthy and wealthy

Gibson underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle in early June, but is already back on the court playing pickup games in Texas. He also reports no lingering issues with the separated shoulder he suffered during the Eastern Conference semifinals against Boston.
“I’m feeling great, way ahead of schedule for everything,’’ said Gibson, who is attempting to add muscle to his sinewy 194-pound frame. “I’m continuing to weight train, trying to make sure I can stay strong for the whole year.’’
A string of unrelated injuries have caused Gibson to sit out 46 regular-season games in his first two NBA seasons, as well as the final two games in the Cavaliers’ playoff loss to Boston. Cleveland dropped the latter series in seven games, which has weighed heavily on his mind in the two months since.
“I’ve had a lot of sleepless nights, wondering where I could have helped the team,’’ Gibson admitted. “I feel like I let my guys down, but I know everything happens for a reason and this will make me stronger in the future.’’ 

 Options

The signing of Gibson pushes the Cavaliers even further over the NBA’s salary cap and luxury tax thresholds, but does not affect the two contractual exceptions they possess. They can offer any free agent the league’s mid-level salary exception of $5.585 million per year or its bi-annual low-level offer of $1.8 million.
“We have and we will continue to explore every way we possibly can to improve as a team,’’ Ferry said.  
• With New Orleans’ signing of Twinsburg product James Posey, late of the Celtics, the most attractive players on the market are Nets forward Bostjan Nachbar and Boston guard Eddie House. Neither athlete makes sense for Cleveland as they are strictly perimeter shooters — and not as accurate beyond the arc as Gibson.
• Among the other remaining unrestricted free agents are Mavericks power forward Juwan Howard, Suns center Brian Skinner, Magic guard Keyon Dooling, Raptors center Primoz Brezec and Clippers guard Shaun Livingston.

 Hoop scoops

The Cavaliers’ summer league team dropped its opener to the Knicks 97-94 in Las Vegas. First-round draft pick J.J. Hickson started at center for Cleveland and had game highs of 26 points on 11-of-15 shooting and nine rebounds. Returning big man Robert “Tractor’’ Traylor added eight points and four fouls in 17 minutes, while free agent point guard Mike Green paced the Cavaliers with six assists.
• The NBA regular season will begin Oct. 29 with the league’s first-ever weeknight tripleheader on ESPN. The games tip at 5:30 p.m., 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. The complete league schedule is still being finalized and will be announced in early August.
Contact Brian Dulik at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.

 

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