Brazilian Varejao agrees multi-year deal with Cleveland

CLEVELAND (Reuters) - Versatile free agent forward Anderson Varejao of Brazil has agreed to a multi-year contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team said on Thursday.

The 26-year-old enjoyed a breakout campaign with Cleveland last season, posting career-highs with 42 starts, 8.6 points per game and a field-goal percentage of .536.

"From the start of free agency, Anderson made it clear he wanted to be a part of our future and that he loved being in Cleveland," Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry said in a statement.

"For us, we have been one of the better teams in the NBA the past four years. Andy has played an important role with our team during that time and continuity is important to us.

"He is an elite defender and we want to continue building our strong defensive identity."

Although the Cavaliers did not disclose financial details, local media estimate Varejao's deal to be worth $50 million over six years.

Led by the NBA's Most Valuable Player LeBron James, Cleveland won a league-best 66 games in the 2008-09 regular season before being eliminated by the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference finals.

(Writing by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Alison Wildey)