http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2094976 Danny Ferry agreed to become the Cleveland Cavaliers' general manager on Sunday, sources told the The Cleveland Plain Dealer and The Associated Press. The Plain Dealer reported that Ferry will sign a five-year contract worth close to $10 million. The paper -- citing two league sources -- reported Ferry's deal also includes incentives. Ferry's hiring is expected to be announced Monday -- one day before the NBA draft. Ferry, who played 10 seasons with the Cavs, was the director of basketball operations for the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs. The Cavaliers currently don't have a selection but have reportedly discussed trading forward Jiri Welsch for a second-round pick. That deal could be easier to make now that the Cavs have found a replacement for Jim Paxson, who was fired the day after the season ended. Ferry spent the last two years as San Antonio's director of basketball operations under GM R.C. Buford. The 38-year-old Ferry played in a club record 723 games for the Cavaliers from 1990-2000. He played the final three years of his career with San Antonio, where he worked with Cleveland coach Mike Brown, then an assistant with the Spurs. Ferry's return will make some Cleveland fans cringe. An All-American at Duke, Ferry was selected with the No. 2 overall pick in 1989 by the Los Angeles Clippers. But he held out in a contract dispute and played one season in Italy before the Cavaliers acquired his rights in a trade. The club dealt rising star Ron Harper for Ferry and waited an entire season until he finished his contract in Italy. Cleveland then signed Ferry to a 10-year, $34 million contract, a decision that made it tough for them to sign other players. Ferry may have never lived up to being "the next Larry Bird" as some had predicted, but he was a solid player, averaging 7.0 points and 2.8 rebounds in 913 career games. In Cleveland, Ferry will have some immediate challenges as he tries to rebuild the Cavs, who faded down the stretch last season. The club will have roughly $25 million to spend in the free-agency period, which begins on July 1. The Cavaliers also have to decide whether to re-sign All-Star center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who made $14.6 million last season. Ferry and Ilgauskas are former teammates and have remained close friends. Ferry's top priority in Cleveland will be building a team around All-Star forward LeBron James. On Friday, James said he would like to have input into which players are signed by the Cavaliers. He mentioned guards Michael Redd, Ray Allen and Larry Hughes and center Eddy Curry as players he would like to see in Cleveland. Ferry is following in the footsteps of his father, Bob, who played 10 seasons in the NBA and was general manager of the Washington Bullets from 1973-90. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. --

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