Ilgauskas back with the Cavs

[Andrew]

Report

Zydrunas Ilgauskas could reach agreement on a buyout with the Washington Wizards in the next couple days, his agent told Yahoo! Sports on Sunday.

The bigger question is this: Will the NBA allow him to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers?

Ilgauskas’ agent, Herb Rudoy, said he was “hopeful” a buyout would be done by “Monday or Tuesday,” after having discussions with Wizards general manager Ernie Grunfeld over the weekend.

The Los Angeles Times reported the NBA has told teams the center won’t be allowed to return to the Cavaliers, based on evidence there was a prearranged deal. The Cavs traded Ilgauskas and a No. 1 draft pick for Antawn Jamison on Thursday, and many in the NBA – including Lakers coach Phil Jackson and Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers – insisted they believed Ilgauskas was always destined to return to Cleveland.

Looks like the NBA has decided to crack down on the practice of "No pre-arranged deal exists (wink, wink)", even without a Stackhouse-like blunder.

[Dee.]

This is just not fair..
The Guy has earned his place there.

[Andrew]

How is it unfair? There's a rule in place prohibiting pre-arranged deals. If there's enough evidence to prove that that's the case here then the NBA is going to act upon it. That said, contrary to the previous report it seems that the NBA blocking the deal is merely speculation, perhaps wishful thinking on the part of the people who have spoken out against it.

[Rip32]

I think it's fair of the NBA to keep Cleveland from getting him back, but I do feel bad for him. Ilgauskas has been Mr. Cavalier since the dark days and it's a shame for him not to be able to return.

I think the Pistons did the same thing with Lindsey Hunter in the championship year too, so I can't bash it, but I don't like the system where a player can get traded and return so soon. A late first round pick for Antawn Jamison? Hella bad deal for the Wiz (aside from cap space that they will probably over-spend on someone).

[Dee.]

Umm these things happen all the time,but somehow exactly now it gets blocked or something.

[benji]

I think the Pistons did the same thing with Lindsey Hunter in the championship year too, so I can't bash it

They did it last year with McDyess.

[Andrew]

I think the Pistons did the same thing with Lindsey Hunter in the championship year too, so I can't bash it, but I don't like the system where a player can get traded and return so soon.

If nothing else it makes you wonder why they bother to have a rule against it, when there's at least some sort of casual understanding that makes it a not too infrequent occurence.

Umm these things happen all the time,but somehow exactly now it gets blocked or something.

The NBA has blocked trades before, usually when someone is careless enough to explicitly lay out the plans...like Jerry Stackhouse did during the negotiations that brought Jason Kidd to Dallas a couple of years back, forcing a different deal to be worked out (and then Devean George threw his own spanner in the works before the deal was finally made).

[koberulz]

like Jerry Stackhouse did during the negotiations that brought Jason Kidd to Dallas a couple of years back, forcing a different deal to be worked out.

I don't recall hearing about that; what happened?

[benji]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3247183

It was Stackhouse's brazen response to the potential trade on Wednesday that first put the league on notice.

"I get 30 days to rest, then I'll be right back,'' Stackhouse told The Associated Press on Wednesday in response to the proposed trade. "I ain't going nowhere."

[nextnba]

Did Ilgauskas even go to Washington? I think buyout is stupid and not fair for the fans....I would love to see Ilgauskas play for the Wizard and see how well he does with his new team mates..We've seen him in Cavs for years...tired of the same old thing...

[Dee.]

He's Very Loyal,i heard he Will move to Cleveland.
As one of the reporters in "The Beat" said,small teams do these things,but no one notices,but when a big and strong team does this,everyone gets mad.

[Andrew]

Did Ilgauskas even go to Washington? I think buyout is stupid and not fair for the fans....I would love to see Ilgauskas play for the Wizard and see how well he does with his new team mates..We've seen him in Cavs for years...tired of the same old thing...

You're entitled to your opinion, but I really don't see how buyouts are stupid or unfair to the fans. At the end of the day it's the terms of employment between a team and a player and in the grand scheme of things, it's none of the fans' business. The provision is there for both parties to come to an agreement to end their relationship and go their separate ways, seems fair enough to me. Who cares if it's the "same old thing"? If a player wants to play for the one team for his entire career, so be it. If he doesn't want to play for a team and can arrange to part ways professionally, so be it.

[benji]

Did Ilgauskas even go to Washington? I think buyout is stupid and not fair for the fans....I would love to see Ilgauskas play for the Wizard and see how well he does with his new team mates..We've seen him in Cavs for years...tired of the same old thing...

The Wizards don't want him to play for them, he doesn't want to play for the Wizards.

[Andrew]

Kelly Dwyer has a take on the situation that I think is fairly spot on.

The point for the team that traded for him is to save money. It's usually a rebuilding team and doesn't really need the extra paycheck for what would be a superfluous player at the end of his career.

The point for the team that traded him away, only to welcome him back, is to win the championship. Pay for the salary to begin with, trade that salary for a player or players making just as much, then paying more salary on top of that in order to win. Win now.

The point for the player is to be happy and win a championship. To possibly give up a little coin in order to wrest a bit of control in a league that can trade him every other Tuesday for nearly the duration of his contract, and win a championship.

[Alpha_]

i'm hoping that he'll going back to the Cavs..

[Kenny]

One team players are pretty rare, so I hope this works out for Big Z. It's hard to imagine him playing for anyone other than the Cavs.

[Andrew]

It's official.

The 7-foot-3 Ilgauskas, who was acquired from Cleveland on Feb. 17 as part of the three-team trade that sent Antawn Jamison to the Cavaliers, didn’t play for Washington. He reported on Feb. 19, took a physical and immediately returned to Cleveland.

Doesn't sound like he's too interested in playing for the Hawks or any of the other teams that have expressed interest in signing him.

[NovU]

I wonder what is so special about city of Cleveland that attracts Ilgauskas. I guess his family is pretty much settled and happy there.
Anyways... This reminds me of this video...

phpBB [video]

Edit: Actually was this vid... that I've seen couple years ago here.

phpBB [video]

[Andrew]

Familiarity with the organisation, an accompanying sense of loyalty and the fact he's made his home there would be some of the main factors. A legitimate shot at a championship probably doesn't hurt either.

[Kenny]

Phil Jackson doesn't like it

"It's a sham of sorts to make that kind of trade. You're not really trading a player. You're just trading a money situation. It's a sham, and I think it's a disrespect for the league and the players to be involved in this type of a thing.''

...don't the Lakers have Pau Gasol now?

[Andrew]

No doubt. Somehow, I think Phil Jackson's tune would be a little different if it were the Lakers were making a deal; I'm pretty sure he'd find some way of defending it, as anyone would when they're the ones benefitting from the situation. Of course, I'd say that it's indirectly acknowledging the Cavaliers as a threat coming out of the East.

[Andrew]

Z wants to go back to Cleveland

Feeling betrayed after he was traded last month, Ilgauskas wants to return to the only NBA team he has played for to help it win a championship.

Ilgauskas, the towering center known to Cleveland fans simply as “Z,” told his agent Herb Rudoy to begin negotiations with the Cavs on March 22—the first day he can sign.

“The NBA rules do not allow any contract discussions until that date,” Rudoy said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. “It is Zydrunas’ desire to return to the Cavaliers if a suitable contract can be agreed upon.”

[Jackal]

Shocking, didn't see that one coming...

[Andrew]

Not the most suspenseful decision, I agree.

[Kenny]

Worst kept secret in the NBA