Ilgauskas back with the Cavs

[NovU]

Jamison to the Cavs for free. Case closed I guess.

[Andrew]

Ilgauskas back in Cleveland area

Everyone's playing it coy but as badreligionau said, worst kept secret in the NBA in recent times.

[Panco]

Surprise, surprise. Z is back. Officially.

I'm not a big fans of Cavs, but I hope they take it this year. I would like Z to get a ring, eventually.

[Andrew]

Time to update the thread title. An article for anyone who's interested or requires further proof.

The article mentions that Ilgauskas may not call it quits after this year and instead explore his options as a free agent. I wouldn't be too surprised if he remains with the Cavs for another year or two, but perhaps the trade has tested his loyalty and made the prospect of playing elsewhere more appealing. Obviously by re-signing with the Cavs this year he's got a shot a championship in familiar surroundings, but perhaps he'll be moving on next season.

[NovU]

Nobody I think would want to stay if Lebron left the city, even Ilgauskas. For now, whatever the reason that made Z come back to CLE, I admire his loyalty to the city. He's been there all those years for the city no matter how bad it was. Hope he gets a ring over LAL then sign with another team after this season. I think he deserved more from the management, especially after the record of most games played as Cav.

[Lamrock]

I bet he either retires or stays as a mentor if LeBron leaves. Can't see a guy like him play for another team.

[benji]

I think he deserved more from the management, especially after the record of most games played as Cav.

The hell?

He's known, and everyone has known, that he (well, his expiring contract) was the only actual piece the Cavs had to flip into another high level player to add. And everyone's known all season that once he was traded, he'd be waived and resign with the Cavs.

What else did he deserve from the Cavs? He still gets paid, and got to spend a month off so they could add Jamison in hopes that puts them over the top and gets him a ring. (And keeps LeBron!) It's not like they dumped him because they didn't want him, they moved him because he was the only real asset they had to add another piece, and oh look, he's right back in Cleveland.

[NovU]

I wasn't only applying to this trade, but even after he reached the most games played as Cav, he didn't get enough credits imo and he wasn't happy about it. Also you have a point but he wasn't happy to be used as a pawn in the trade anyways.

[Andrew]

Chris Webber touched upon that during the Nuggets/Knicks game today. It still seems he's not entirely happy about what happened even if he's come to accept it, so perhaps he'll at least flirt with the idea of leaving and playing a season or two somewhere else at the end of the year, talk to some other teams and he's probably open to leaving more so than he was before. Having said that, I'd still rate his chances of being a Cav for another year or two as being pretty good. If they win it all this year and LeBron sticks around, those chances are even better.