Now that good pal Dwyane Wade has won an NBA title, LeBron James is even more driven to get his first.

"It just makes me hungrier," James said Wednesday at the groundbreaking for a $4.7-million US housing project on the city's east side that he and his business team are partially funding. "The best team won it this year, D-Wade and the Miami Heat. But the NBA doesn't stop in one year.

"I've got a long time to get mine."

It's clearer than ever that James wants to win his first championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

On July 1, the club will offer him a five-year, $75 million maximum contract extension. That date has been circled on the Cavs' calendar since they drafted the 21-year-old first overall in 2003.

James is convinced he'll be in Cleveland for a long time.

"I'm very happy here with our team and I'm very excited about our future," he said. "I'm confident we'll get something done. I've got confidence in the organization and what we've done together."

During the announcement of his latest business venture, James was handed a shovel for a photo opportunity to show his commitment to rebuilding an urban area of Cleveland.

The Cavaliers can only hope it also symbolized that their superstar is digging in for a long time.

NBA rules prevent general manager Danny Ferry from publicly commenting on James' contract situation, but it's no secret the team is eager to get beyond July 1.

"It's great that LeBron is showing his commitment toward Northeast Ohio and the city," Ferry said at the ceremony. "The organization is proud of him."

James is proud of Wade, named playoff MVP after leading the Heat to four straight wins over the Dallas Mavericks.

Following Miami's 95-92 series-clinching win in Game 6 on Tuesday, James spoke to his jubilant friend in Dallas.

"He was out of his mind, and he doesn't touch alcohol," James said. "I'm excited for him. I'm very happy for him. He's one of my best friends in the whole world. Hopefully, I'll get there one day and he can be excited for me."

James averaged 31.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.6 assists this season while leading the Cavs into the playoffs for the first time since 1998. He was just as good in the post-season (30.8, 8.1 and 5.8) as Cleveland beat Washington in the first round before losing in seven games to Detroit.

There will be a new road block for James next season: the NBA champions.

"We're happy for the Heat," he said. "But at the end of the day it's another step for us (Cavaliers). We want to get better."

As for the housing project, James and three friends and business partners are among the investors in the 18-unit project that will feature two-and three-bedroom, 2,000-square-foot townhouses expected to sell for $265,000 and $325,000 each.

"We're very excited about refurbishing and bringing great things to what we call the hood. Everybody else may call it the city but we call it the hood," James said to cheers at a symbolic groundbreaking for the project. "That's where we grew up at and we never ever had an opportunity like this."

The homes will overlook the scenic Rockefeller Park near the Glenville neighbourhood east of downtown.

The lakeside area, once home to the city's most affluent families, is in the beginning stages of a redevelopment after race riots in 1968 caused widespread arson and looting that chased businesses and residents away for nearly 40 years.

It is no secret that what the Cleveland Cavaliers need more than anything else is a point guard. Whether they can get one at Pick No. 25 remains to be seen.

It is true that San Antonio picked Tony Parker with the last pick in the first round in 2001. And that Dallas got Josh Howard in the same slot in 2003. But for every guy like that, there are about 100 that never did anything meaningful on an NBA court.

And when it comes to the Cavs, I can name more than a few that were drafted much higher than 25 who never produced much of anything either. Trajan Langdon, Dajuan Wagner, DeSegana Diop*, Luke Jackson, and even the current GM of the Cavaliers Danny Ferry were never worth the number they were picked in the draft.

So now that the Cavs finally ended their playoff drought, they have a pick down at No. 25. That isn't really a very exciting number. So what is the best possible scenario for the Cavs tonight?

The bottom line is that the Cavs need to make progress immediately. You can't waste years with a guy like LeBron James on your roster. Also, if you want any hopes of keeping him around in a smaller market like Cleveland, then you really need to show all possible commitments to getting better. So, how can the Cavs heed this advice on draft night?

Here are my suggestions:

Number One: Try to address team needs at point guard, but also have an eye out for the best player available.

If a guy who is 6'10" happens to drop into the Cavs sights and he is better than any of the point guards available, then I expect to see the Cavs take talent over need. With Drew Gooden's status unknown, the Cavs might have a need before you know it.

The point is that depth is depth regardless of where you have strengths. Within reason, you can always scheme to keep your best players on the floor even if there is some crossover in the positions they play. Obviously you can't play three centers, but if you have guys who can float between the 3 and 4 spots then you could have a very dangerous rotation of weapons.

Just make sure you don't draft some guy who will never contribute because he happens to play point. The Cavs did this twice at center when they were unsure of Zydrunas Ilgauskas' health, by drafting DeSegana Diop and Chris Mihm who never performed up to the standard of their draft day slot.

Number Two: See if any good role playing point guards are available for trade.

If the Cavs can trade for a known quantity at point guard, I would expect them to do it. Knowing the kind of production that you can expect from a player is better than hoping that a guy will come in and produce. Rumor has it that Portland has offered Juan Dixon for Luke Jackson. While Dixon doesn't have gaudy stats, but he played on an awful team. Oh, and what have the Cavs seen from Jackson since he was drafted? Zero starts and less than three points per game in two injury-riddled seasons.

Number Three: Make sure it is a "smart" pick.

In the past it seems that on draft night everyone tries to outsmart everyone else. Don't think you know something that everyone else doesn't already know. If the guy that everyone likes is from the Big East, don't think taking some obscure player from Latvia is the way to go because the guy had a good workout.

It is acceptable to think you might have slotted players better than everyone else, but don't think that you are so special a talent evaluator that you can grab someone that nobody has been talking about and have it work out. Sure, you could end up picking up a highly touted guy and then have it not work out, but at least then you can point to some research and say it was bad luck. If you go on your own, you risk making a bad pick and looking idiotic in the process. If you want to gamble, do it in the second round.

Conclusion

If the Cavs can keep these suggestions in mind, they should be able to do something to improve the prospects of their team for next season. For once the Cavs are in a position where they are expected to make the playoffs before the season starts, so it really should take some of the pressure off.

At the same time, the difference between drafting Dwyane Wade and Darko Milicic are enormous and can forever shape a franchise. So reduce the risk of failure.

The Cavs' ability to keep LeBron James happy might depend on it.

* - Even though Diop has developed into a role player for the Mavericks, his lack of production and ability in a Cavs uniform cannot be denied, especially considering Troy Murphy, Joe Johnson, Richard Jefferson, and others were chosen below him.

LeBron James surprised his coach, general manager and the Cleveland Cavaliers by showing up unannounced at a press conference on Friday to introduce the club's top two draft picks.

"It's good to see him - anytime," coach Mike Brown said.

But especially now.

Because as early as 12:01 a.m. Saturday morning, the Cavaliers can begin negotiations with James and his agent, Leon Rose, on a five-year contract extension worth about $80 million US. James, who isn't eligible to become a free agent until after the 2006-07 season, has given every indication that he intends to sign the deal.

Trouble is, he can't officially sign until July 12 when the NBA's free-agent moratorium ends. So for now, Cleveland fans, burned in the past by promises made by the likes of Art Modell, Jim Thome and Carlos Boozer, are doing their best to keep the faith that the Akron-born James stays close to home.

"These are stressful times," Marissa Carcioppolo of Parma said after buying a silver Cavs basketball for her five-year-old niece's birthday at the club's team shop at Quicken Loans Arena. "Everyone is a little bit stressed out that he's going to leave us, but LeBron has said he wants to stay in Cleveland. He's home grown, and I feel like he wants to be here. His heart is here."

The Cavaliers are counting on his other vital organs staying, too.

For months, James has expressed his happiness with the organization and its direction. The Cavaliers made the playoffs last season for the first time since 1998, and they've spent big money on free agents to help James win.

Taking a low profile near an exit door off the Cavaliers' practice floor, James didn't have much to say about his impending contract situation.

"Talk to them," he said, pointing toward a stage where Brown and Ferry were posing for pictures with draft picks Shannon Brown and Daniel Gibson. "They'll let you know."

James planned to stay in town for the extended holiday weekend, but he didn't know if the Cavs would be meeting with Rose soon. James even joked about his high-profile agent, who represents Andrea Bargnani, taken No. 1 overall by Toronto, and Philadelphia's Allen Iverson, rumoured to be on the trading block.

"I hope he (Rose) can find some time for me," James said.

Ferry was extremely cautious with his words when discussing James' extension.

"This is one where you don't want to stub your toe on rules," he said.

The league prohibits teams from making any public statements when the free-agent signing period begins on July 1. However, teams can confirm their intent to begin talks, and Ferry said one of club's first moves will be making early morning contact with Rose.

"We'll make a call and allow things to unfold," he said. "Feeling like we have to rush this is a mistake. The earliest he (James) can do anything is the 12th. Rushing it is not a necessity. That process starts tonight and carries on through. We're going to initiate things with them and go from there."

The Cavaliers have exclusive negotiating rights with James this summer. As the team that drafted him, they can offer him a "maximum" contract extension allowed under the league's collective bargaining agreement that would kick in after the 2007-08 season. Under that deal, he would make 25 per cent of the 2007-08 salary cap, which will be determined later.

Players have historically taken the extension when it's offered, primarily because of the security.

Last season, Amare Stoudemire signed his five-year, $73 million extension with Phoenix and then suffered a season-ending knee injury one week later. If he had not signed, Stoudemire would have risked never seeing that money from the Suns again.

If James chooses not to sign this summer, he can become a restricted free agent after the 2006-07 season. But the Cavaliers would still be able to match any offer sheet made to James, plus they could give him a six-year deal while other teams could only give him five.

James would not be eligible for unrestricted free agency until after the 2007-08 season.

With a busy summer ahead and his fourth NBA season looming at the other end of it, James may want to get the extension talks over with quickly. He's playing for Team USA in the World Championships and has to report to training camp in Las Vegas on July 19.

He wasn't required to be at Friday's event when the Cavaliers welcomed their draft picks. But James was there, perhaps providing another sign of his commitment to Cleveland.

"He found out and wanted to come, which is great," Ferry said. "He's a big part of this and that has to make both those guys feel really pretty good, that the leader here wants to come and show some support for them."

And how does it make the GM feel?

Ferry smiled.

"Always good to see him," he said.