The NBA’s Summer of 2006

It has been a busy summer for the members of the NBA draft class of 2003. Four of the top five picks have signed extensions with their original teams, the lone exception being Darko Milicic. Chris Bosh was the first to sign, followed by Carmelo Anthony and the NBA Finals MVP, Dwyane Wade.

Of course, the last to sign was LeBron James. Not only did he wait a week before agreeing to an extension, he also came back with a deal that sets himself up very well financially.

Early Wednesday morning, LeBron signed a three-year contract extension. This extension is two less years than the maximum extension, which is for five years. So how does this deal set up well for LeBron, you may ask? Well, the NBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) expires after the 2010-2011 season. There is an option that the league can exercise to extend the CBA one more year.

This means that after this extension, LeBron can re-negotiate for a new maximum deal. Early reports have the new maximum being close to $150 million. I guess those questions about LeBron's management team's experience should be answered as they have put their client in a great position for the future.

One person who has noticed the brilliance of this deal is LeBron's close friend and NBA champion Dwyane Wade. After agreeing to the maximum deal, Ric Bucher from ESPN The Magazine has reported the Wade will actually end up signing a similar deal to James' deal.

Both players have enjoyed a rapid rise to stardom. Only in their third season, these players continue to do things that show maturity far beyond their years. James just finished averaging 31.4 points, 7 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game during the regular season.

Making his first appearance in the playoffs, James again did not disappoint as he had triple-double in his playoff debut. He didn't stop there as he made two game-winning shots, and pushed the defending Eastern Conference champions Detroit Pistons to seven games.

Although, he and the Cavaliers would eventually be defeated by the Pistons, James put the rest of the league on notice that he and the Cavaliers are on their way to contending in the Eastern Conference. This made getting this extension signed the number one priority for the Cavaliers.

Dwyane Wade also has just finished reaching new heights in his NBA career. This past season, he averaged a career-high in points, averaging 27.2 points, while also contributing 6.7 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game.

Wade was also able to step his game up in the playoffs, raising his scoring average to 28.4 points per game. He was definitely the driving force behind the Heat championship run as he poured in 34.7 points per game against the Mavericks, including 42 in the series-changing game, Game 3.

Though separated by four picks in the actual draft, Wade and James seem to waging a personal war against each other. Wade has been to the playoffs all three of his years in the NBA and now has a NBA ring and a Finals MVP trophy, as well. James just had his first taste of the NBA playoff life, but he seems to enjoy the experience. Now with their similar deals in place, what will these two players do for an encore for the 2006-2007 season? I don't know about you, but I am anxious to see.

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