While We’re Waiting… Holmgren Speaks, LeBron Cashes In, and Blog Tourney News
March 23, 2010That’s More Like It, Fausto
March 23, 2010[Editor’s Note: This article was written before the news of Z’s signing was formally announced. Since then, it has been confirmed that Zydrunas Ilgauskas has indeed signed a one year deal with the Cavaliers, per Brian Windhorst’s Twitter account. However, we are still running this article as is because the thought process behind the decision still remains.]
Get ready Cavs fans. Zydrunas Ilgauskas is about to officially be reunited with his team for his return back to his rightful home. While Monday was actually the first day he could sign with Cleveland, Ilgauskas had a decision to make on the deal and the Cavaliers have a little housecleaning issues to take care of first, so a deal is expected to be finalized sometime Tuesday morning.
The decision Z is facing is whether to sign a deal just for the remainder of this season or to commit to the team for next season. If he does indeed sign the Bi-Annual Exception, the contract would be for 2 years and just shy of $4 million. However, the 2nd year is an option year, and the two sides can negotiate whether that be a team option or a player option. The issue doesn’t appear to be a matter of Z retiring after this year, though. His agent Herb Rudoy has said Z plans to play next year. So the issue is whether Z wants to automatically stay with Cleveland next year, or if he wants to test the free agent market this summer.
According to a quote given to the Plain Dealer’s Mary Schmitt Boyer, Rudoy said Z would decide what he wanted to do sometime Tuesday morning:
“Danny and I are discussing a couple of scenarios and I will let him know in the morning how Z wants to proceed,” Rudoy told The Plain Dealer. The hope was to complete a deal in time to allow Ilgauskas to travel with the team to New Orleans on Tuesday afternoon for a game on Wednesday.
According to a report by the Associated Press, this marks a change in philosophy on Z’s part:
Ilgauskas has the option of signing for just the remainder of this season or adding extra years to the deal.
“It’s just a matter of how long of a contract we’ll sign,” Herb Rudoy said.
Earlier in the day, Rudoy said he wasn’t interested in any deals beyond this season. He wanted Ilgauskas to be an unrestricted free agent this summer. Ilgauskas, though, is contemplating signing with Cleveland beyond this year.
The natural question I’m sure many have is, why would Z want to become a free agent? Does he really not want to finish his career in Cleveland? The answer probably isn’t that black and white.
Of course, I could get all conspiracy theorist on you and point out that Z has a residence in New York, and if anyone on the Cavaliers knows what LeBron is thinking regarding his future, it would be Ilgauskas. So perhaps he wants to play out his last year or 2 with LeBron in New York? But it’s a good thing I’m not one for conspiracies, so I’ll leave that one alone.
Rather, I think the real issue is twofold. One, there’s the money Z had to give up to come back to Cleveland in the first place. According to Mary Schmitt Boyer’s article, Ilgauskas had to give up $1.5 million to get out of Washington, and now the pro-rated value of the BAE that he would sign is only $150,000. And yes, I understand Z has made a lot of money from this franchise in his career, but never the less, nobody enjoys losing $1.3 million dollars that was owed to them.
The 2nd issue for Z could be some hurt feelings over being dealt. Remember, the reason Z had to give up that money was because the Cavaliers used him as a pawn to get Jamison. There have been several reports that Z wasn’t exactly thrilled with the move. This was win-win for the Cavaliers because not only did they get Antawn Jamison, but they also get Z back for considerably less money than they were originally paying him at the start of this season. So I’m not going to blame Ilgauskas if he feels a little hurt by the move. At the end of the day, Ilgauskas still proved his loyalty to this team by giving up that money and coming back to Cleveland despite strong offers by several other contending teams. At this point, Ilgauskas does not owe this franchise anything.
For Ilgauskas, he really stands to lose nothing by becoming a free agent. It would allow him to claim a piece of the Cavaliers’ Mid-Level Exception next year if the Cavs want him back (the Cavs lost their Bird Rights to Z when they traded him). The MLE would give him a chance to earn more money than he could get under the current BAE. And if the Cavaliers don’t want to bring him back, and Z still wants to play, he’s seen that there are some really good teams out there who would love to have him. I think it opened his eyes to the value he still holds for teams in the league, and it would be hard to blame him for exploring that option further.
Or, at the end of the day, perhaps he will decide to just sign for more years right now. There’s not a true Cavs fan out there who doesn’t want Z to retire as a Cavalier. Nobody wants to see him end his career in Dallas or Atlanta, and I think in his heart Ilgauskas doesn’t want that either. Ultimately, though, the choice is his to make, and I for one will support his decision whichever way it takes him.
25 Comments
Welcome HOME, Z.
And suck it, PJax.
Interesting that he went with the one year deal. I think this significantly decreases the chances he comes back next year. The Cavs will pretty much only have the MLE to use to add pieces next year, and unless Z is willing to come back for a relatively cheap price, I can’t see the Cavs investing a whole lot in Z.
That said, it will be great to see #11 back on the court!
http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2010/03/ilgauskas_to_sign_1-year_deal.html
Why did cleveland.com pick the goofiest picture of Z to put in this article? He looks like a ballerina…
Jaythetruth, start eating that crow.
he could still do a bi-annual next year, no?
Welcome Back, Big Z! This news makes the gray, gloomy, 30s day in Cleveland better.
Z is back. I can stop being reserved about it now.
Won’t the Cavs still have his bird rights next year, allowing them to sign him for whatever they would like?
@Mike: Yes. Since he signed with the Veterans’ Minimum clause this year, the Cavaliers will still have their Bi-Annual Exception to use next year.
Hooray! Welcome Home Big Fella.
On the from left field section of thinking….. Maybe if the Cavs do what we all hope they’ll do this year**, Big Z may call it a career.
(** – I dare not speak it. I firmly believe I jinxed the team last year when I told my boss to schedule me a vacation day for the parade down Euclid Ave. For this reason, I dare not speak what I think regarding my beloved Cavaliers in the postseason.)
Z is back today
Hallelujah, all rejoice
Welcome home big guy
@MP34: As I said in the article, the Cavs lost his Bird Rights when they traded him to Washington.
The one year deal may be win-win for everybody.
From Z’s point of view, he knows he’ll get at least a MLE from some team next year and can chase the ring this year in Cleveland. For the Cavs, even if their Euro-boy draft pick is ready to come stateside and give this NBA thing a whirl, they will still need an experienced starting and back up center. Using their MLE on Z next year may be a great way to use their MLE. And on the other hand, a one year deal gives Ferry more months to explore other options at center next year; Ferry loves that flexibility to always keep his options open.
Quick, someone call Austin Carr and tell him to march up over to Sebastian Telfair’s locker and yell, “GIIIT that weak stuff outta here!”
wait……………..who? 🙂
@Harv 21. Rofl. I agree completely. Last man in is the first man out…even if it’ll cost a little more. D-Block and Green have worked hard for this organization.
@16/Prof. : actually, I only meant that Telfair is actually using Z’s old locker. No objection to waiving bye-byes to D-block if Ferry thinks that’s the best use of our salary space.
Telfair won’t be cut the Cavaliers can use his contract in a trade next season. I believe he gets something like $2.7M, that could be valuable come trading time.
Ahh, reading comprehension. Thanks for putting up with me Andrew.
Is this gonna be like, a formal celebration or holiday? Should I get myself all gussied up?
Or can I stay in my underwear at my computer?
/ <3 Z
HE’S SIGNED!
Heh, no worries MP34.
It’s official, D-Block waived (according to Cavs.com presser.)
Welcome back Z, best of luck Darnell.
Glad he’s back…..
conspiracy theory debunked – according to BW, the trade bonus Z got along with what he will be paid by the Cavs essentially makes up the difference he gave up from the buyout.