Bruton chasing LeBron

From foxsports.news.com.au
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Australia captain CJ Bruton will take up an offer to trial with superstar LeBron James's NBA club Cleveland despite signing a new deal with Brisbane Bullets.

If all goes to plan for Bruton, he won't take up the three-season contract confirmed by the NBL club today.

The 30-year-old's inclusion on a Brisbane player roster that also boasts the likes of Sam Mackinnon, Mark Bradtke and Dusty Rychart all but locks in the Bullets as the early season premiership favourite.

However, the former Sydney Kings championship-winning guard is a chance of not stepping onto the court for Brisbane after accepting the offer to trial with Cleveland.

The Athens Olympian attended a 19-strong mini-camp last month held by the Cavaliers for roster consideration and will play for Cleveland at next month's Las Vegas Summer League which is attended by top NBA scouts, executives and coaches.

"We support his NBA try-out but if he doesn't make that league we look forward to him running out in a Bullets uniform this season," Brisbane general manager Jeff Van Groningen said.

Van Groningen began talks with Bruton when the Brisbane boss was a guest of the Cavaliers program in May, thanks to his extensive NBA contacts.

He said Bruton - who enjoyed an initial NBL stint in Brisbane in 1998 - was keen to return to Queensland and follow in the footsteps of his father, legendary championship-winning Bullet Cal "The Black Pearl" Bruton.

"CJ and I caught up in late May as he began work-outs in Cleveland," Van Groningen said of the Commonwealth Games gold medallist.

"CJ indicated he had enjoyed his earlier time in Brisbane and felt a sense of heritage here having spent some of his youth in the city when his father was playing for the Bullets.

"We felt that if he doesn't make the NBA this could be an ideal home for him and we'd be an option to consider rather than Europe.

"We spent a great deal of time over the last month discussing things pertaining to our program, and our goals as a club.

"After thought and consideration, he felt it was a vision he very much shared, and we're ecstatic."

Bruton was touted as "one of the more significant announcements of the current off-season" but the two-time championship winner with Sydney admitted he was no guarantee of playing in the NBL.

"If I can't get into the NBA this off-season, I couldn't think of a better program to go to," Bruton said in a statement.

"I spent a lot of time with Jeff and found out all I could. I want to be part of the club, I feel like I can really contribute and add to it.

Bruton was picked up in the NBA Draft by Portland way back in 1997 but is yet to break into the world's best competition, instead biding his time with a stellar turn in the NBL.

Bullets coach Joey Wright said Brisbane would become legitimate title contenders with Bruton's arrival.

"His leadership ability along with his knowledge of players on the current roster should go a long way in challenging for the 2006-07 NBL championship," he said.

Van Groningen and Wright will return to the US for July's NBA summer league programs in a bid to fill their final roster position - a second import.