NBA Report: SF Alonzo Gee Close to Multi-Year Deal with Cleveland Cavaliers

According to a tweet by Fox 8 News personality John Telich, the Cleveland Cavaliers are close to terms with restricted free agent Alonzo Gee on a three-year, $9.8 million deal.

Gee was extended a qualifying offer of $2.7 million earlier this summer which he had chosen not to sign, hoping for a better offer.

While Bob Finnan of The News-Herald reported that the Phoenix Suns were going to come in with a four year, $16 million offer, nothing ever materialized.

Gee was the team's best small forward last season and can also play some shooting guard. He showed a much-improved all-around game averaging 10.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals per contest.

Overall, the deal makes sense for both sides.

Had Gee simply accepted the qualifying offer and played out this upcoming season he would have become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

The Cavs would likely have been hard pressed to re-sign him, as Gee likely wouldn't have been too happy at the lack of a multi-year deal the summer before.

The $9.8 million over three years will put Gee at around $3.26 million per season so he'll see a bump in what he would have made in the qualifying offer.

It's also a nice increase from the roughly $854,000 he made in 2011-2012, his first full NBA season.

All together it gives the Cavaliers three young, fairly talented small forwards along with Omri Casspi and C.J. Miles to compete for the starting small forward job.

The deal will take Gee until his 28th birthday, when most players reach the prime of their NBA careers.

This also means Gee will be ready and take part in training camp, as he stayed out of the summer league while his contract situation got worked out.

Overall this is a fair deal for both sides, as the Cavs keep their young nucleus locked up at a very friendly price.

Update: The Cleveland Plain Dealer has reported no deal has been reached.