News from the New York Post has ex-Knicks coach Don Cheaney re-surfacing in Cleveland as an assistant coach to Paul Silas.

The Cavaliers have an assistant coaching position open firing Bob Donewald yesterday, and while the official search is yet to begin Silas is said to be looking for a veteran assistant.

LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers will receive the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy as the 2003-04 got milk? Rookie of the Year, the NBA announced today.

James received a total of 508 points, including 78 first-place votes out of a possible 118, from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada.  Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote received.  Denver?s Carmelo Anthony finished a close second with 430 points and Miami?s Dwyane Wade was third with 117 points.

The first overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, James was in the top five among rookies in all major statistical categories.  He led all rookies in steals (1.65 spg), was second in scoring (20.9 ppg), third in assists (5.9 apg) and fifth in rebounding (5.5 rpg).  James joins NBA legends Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan as the only players in NBA history to average more than 20 points, five rebounds and five assists per game in their rookie season.  

James is the only player in Cleveland Cavaliers history to be named the got milk? Rookie of the Year and is the youngest player in NBA history to capture the honor.  James will be presented the award live on TNT during halftime of the New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets playoff game on Tuesday, April 20.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that Cavaliers guard LeBron James will be honored as the NBA's Rookie of the Year at that media gathering. The suspense was taken out of the ordeal last weekend when the Associated Press broke the story that the Eddie Gottlieb trophy was earmarked to James.

''It would be exciting if I won that award,'' James said last week.

James supposedly received considerably more votes than Denver forward Carmelo Anthony, who guided the Nuggets to the playoffs and outscored the Cleveland rookie. Anthony was the league's top rookie scorer at 21.0, while James was second at 20.9.

''I know (Anthony) wants it and I know I want it,'' James said.

Cavaliers coach Paul Silas said last week that he expected James to win the award.

''If you look at his production, it speaks for itself,'' he said. ''The other guys, Carmelo and (Miami guard Dwyane) Wade are terrific players, but they are not the athlete that he is. He deserves to be Rookie of the Year.''

Miami coach Stan Van Gundy said because the Heat qualified for the playoffs, Wade should be a front-runner for the award (he will likely finish third in the voting).

''If this thing had continued and we were in the playoffs, it would have been hands down,'' Silas said. ''He's had a positive effect on our ball club. We've had the third biggest turnaround in the league (plus-16 victories), and he's partly responsible for that.

''He's really had a sensational year.''

"LeBron James, the super-hyped phenom who went from high school to the pros and kept the Cleveland Cavaliers in playoff contention until late in the season, has beaten out Carmelo Anthony in voting for the NBA's Rookie of the Year award."

"A source with knowledge of the vote tally, speaking on condition of anonymity, said James will be presented with the award Tuesday."

Lebron James was the rookie of the month in the East this season every month.

Apparently, the Cavs needed little convincing in picking up the option on LeBron James' contract for the 2006-07 season.

In a release Thursday, the Cavs said they picked up James' fourth year, which means he becomes a restricted free agent in his fifth year. The Cavs have the right to match any offer he receives and can keep him in Cleveland.

In games in which he's played, the Cavaliers are 19-11 (.633).

When he hasn't suited up, they are 15-36 (.294).

That alone should add up to millions of dollars in a contract extension, shouldn't it?

Maybe not, though.

McInnis is under contract for next year at $3.6 million (there's no option). The Cavaliers have the ability to get out of the contract by July 1 and pay only $300,000 (what's guaranteed in the deal).

Cavaliers owner Gordon Gund said with the way he's played, there's little doubt he'll be retained. However, Gund wouldn't commit to the Cavaliers signing him to a contract extension this summer.

''We're going to see him in a Cavs' uniform next year, and (a possible extension) has to be discussed,'' he said. ''It's up to (Cavaliers general manager) Jim (Paxson) and the coaching staff. When he's been healthy, he's made a big difference.''

For the record McInnis said he wants to remain in Cleveland.

''I hope so,'' he said. ''I love playing here.''

Ira Newble was signed by the Cavaliers as a defensive stopper, but nagging injuries slowed him for much of the season.

Newble, however, returned to form over the last few weeks, to the delight of coach Paul Silas.

"Ira wasn't healthy for a long time and now he's healthy and he feels good about himself," Silas said. "We understand each other and he's just playing, and this is what I envisioned. He's doing a good job right now and hopefully it's something to build on."

But more importantly to Silas, he loves Newble's competitiveness.

"Ira hates to lose worse than anyone on this team," Silas said. "When he's losing in practice, he'll take the ball and throw it at someone. He's just a tough guy."

That tough guy image has followed Newble since growing up in Detroit.

"I grew up watching the 'Bad Boys,' " Newble said. "That's something that has always stuck with me. All of those guys were tough. I tried to pattern my game after the way they played."

Six-time allstar Shawn Kemp signed a contract with the Oklahoma Storm of the United States Basketball League.

"This commitment from Shawn speaks for itself," Storm general manager Tom Nelson said. "He wants to be actively involved with the team, and you can't get more active than this. Not too many USBL teams have ever had a six-time NBA All-Star on the court."

"Shawn is a household name and will provide some excitement this season for the USBL fans," said USBL commissioner Daniel T. Meisenheimer III.

An informal poll of 24 reporters who cover the league regularly - 13 from the Western Conference and 11 from the East - showed that Utah's Jerry Sloan had an edge over Hubie Brown of Memphis for the coaching honor.

Sloan received 14 first-place votes, Brown got eight, one was split, and there was one abstention. The point totals, on a 3-2-1 basis, showed Sloan with a 60 to 50 lead over Brown.

Brown on Sloan: "The guy's done a miraculous job. He's made the playoffs what, 21 straight years? If he makes the playoffs with this team, that will be one of the major accomplishments of his career. It would be great if he won it. He's a man's man and he's a professional. He coaches with his heart."

Sloan on Brown: "He's done a great job with that team. He's one of the best coaches in basketball, and he's a great teacher. He does things the right way, and this year all their players know exactly what their roles are on that team. I'm not surprised at all that they've been so successful."

The poll showed that there were two runaway races - for most valuable player (Kevin Garnett) and rookie of the year (Lebron James).

The New York Post is reporting that Richard Jefferson has been selected to replace Vince Carter on the U.S. Olympic Team, beating out the likes of LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire in the process.

The news comes at a time when Jefferson was in the headlines for negative reasons.  Jefferson, partly angry after a defeat and partly tired, questioned the wisdom of playing heavy minutes back-to-back in what was an apparent meaningless game. So Nets coach Lawrence Frank spoke with his young and talented star yesterday.

"I speak to Richard constantly, mainly about his minutes and there are absolutely no issues," Frank said the day after Jefferson spoke up after a 90-80 defeat in Indiana. "We are on the same page. Richard told me that 'If I said it like that, I apologize.' We spoke about it. It's no big deal. It's a total non-issue."

Jefferson was a member of the U.S. qualifying team that competed in Puerto Rico last summer, and although his role was limited he insisted he wanted to return even if it meant playing less time.

In addition to the most overpowering concern of their own health, the Nets are trying to determine how to prepare for one of three teams. It looks like the Knicks. But it could be the Celtics. Or the Hornets.

"You have to prepare for all the scenarios," admitted Frank. "Sure, you could be spinning your wheels but you want to have your work all done when it's time to go . . . We just do what's just normal at this time of the year, as we've done in the past. We have two video coordinators [so] we break down and prepare for all possibilities in terms of films. We traditionally watch all of our games against their team, plus their last five or six games and we just have it broken down in a certain way."