Warriors Looking To Acquire Ilgauskas?
Written By: Andrew | Category: Cleveland Cavaliers | Comments: 52
In the past couple days we’ve talked about how Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas could be contemplating retirement following this year, we’ve discussed his importance to the Cavs’ legacy, and we’ve even discussed how he might be an integral part of a team that could have the potential to be one of the best NBA teams ever.
But what if he’s not even on the Cavaliers this year? How would that change things? Marcus Thompson wrote in his Inside The Warriors blog for the Contra Costa Times that he’s heard rumors that the Golden State Warriors are trying to acquire Ilgauskas. He writes:
One rumor I’ve heard lately is that the Warriors have talked with Cleveland about acquiring Zydrunas Ilgauskas from the Cavaliers.
This seems like a move the Warriors would love to make, which leads me to believe Cleveland either isn’t that interested in Jackson (they did sign Anthony Parker and they have Delonte West at shooting guard already) or they want more in exchange for Ilgauskas’ $11.5 million expiring contract.
As Jackson has already said, he would love to go to Cleveland. And a starting perimeter of Mo Williams, Stephen Jackson and LeBron James sounds pretty formidable, especially with the likes of Parker, West and Bobbie Gibson coming off the bench.
This is where things get interesting, though. With the Cavaliers’ ability to count on Delonte West shrinking by the day, it could leave an enormous hole in their lineup, a hole that someone like Jackson could fill quite nicely.
With the development in JJ Hickson’s game, along with the team’s comfort level in using Darnell Jackson (and not to mention the fact Leon Powe will eventually join the team as well), you start to wonder if Big Z could actually become expendable.
If the Cavaliers really feel that they are not going to be able to use Delonte this year, they will be forced to look at Plan B. At 6’8” Jackson is more of a SF by nature than SG, but he’s actually a capable ball handler who does play the perimeter quite a bit. The Cavs need someone who can run the offense when Mo Williams goes to the bench, and last year Jackson showed he could actually run the point fairly well. With Monta Ellis hurt for much of the year, Jackson spent a lot of time playing the point and he averaged 6.5 assists (up from 4.1 the year before and 3.2 for his career average). Furthermore, Jackson is a very good defender and his size has always been a matchup nightmare for opposing guards. He’s averaged 20 ppg the last 2 years and has only once been below a 14.0 PER since 2002-03. Jackson is a pretty consistent scorer with a lot of size and talent.
Essentially, there are three reasons this is ultimately unlikely, though. First, the Cavaliers probably do not want to trade Ilgauskas right now. They certainly would if the right deal came along and it made sense for the long term future of the team, but Stephen Jackson is not that guy. Second, Jackson is a malcontent and can be a huge disruption. He’s played for the Nets, Spurs, Hawks, Pacers, and Warriors in his career, and none of them were for more than 2.5 years. When he’s happy he’s a good player, and he has said he’d like to play in Cleveland and he reportedly gets along very well with Mike Brown, who was with Jackson in both San Antonio and Indiana. So perhaps it’s tempting, but ultimately Danny Ferry has shown himself to be a chemistry-first guy, and Jackson would be a risk.
Finally, there’s the salary issue. Jackson is due $7.65 million this year, but then his contract really escalates, going to $8.45 million in 2010-11, $9.26 million in 2011-12, and $10.06 million in 2012-13 before finally becoming a free agent in 2013. That contract is a nightmare and if Ferry pulled the trigger on this trade, the Cavaliers would be stuck with Jackson for a very long time, and they would lose all roster flexibility for the next 3 season.
In the end, I doubt anything comes of this rumor for the reasons listed above, but Delonte’s continuing saga and issues is unquestionably putting strain and pressure on Ferry. Without Delonte, this team is in big trouble in the backcourt. Stephen Jackson is a guy who could help, while Z’s role on the team may become a bit superfluous. Whether this deal ever gets seriously considered or not, you can bet this is just the first of many rumors involving Big Z this year due to his expiring contract.
(Photo Credit: Chris Covatta / NBAE via Getty Images)
Author: AndrewSchnitkey
Andrew Schnitkey is a founding editor of WaitingForNextYear. Though he has written about every Cleveland franchise over the years, his primary focus is the Cavaliers and NBA basketball in general.Andrew Schnitkey has written 522 articles for Waiting for Next Year.
I am out here in the bay area and all I can say is that Stephen Jackson is a totally different person then he was a few years ago with the Pacers and his strip club (script club if you are Pacman Jones) incident. The fans love him out here and I think he would be just fine with the Cavs. I love the Z-man, but has everyone forgotten his performance aginst the Magic last year? Maybe his days are about over in basketball and we should trade him while there is still a market for him.
i would seriously consider this if a few things also can happen. 1. there is a little wink-wink, buyout of Z by golden state and Z can return to the cavs “after weighing all other options.” lets be honest – Z hardly fits golden state’s running style of play. can you imagine monta ellis, corey maggette, curry, etc with Z out there? makes no sense. plus, GS already has Biedriens at C. Z belongs on the Cavs. 2. lets assume GS is flat-out desperate to unload jackson, which may very well be true. and maybe somehow a trade of Z can help do that. well why should the cavs help out GS and take on a fairly burdensome contract like jackson’s, despite the fact that he would be a really nice addition? well, maybe a little incentive like Anthony Randolph thrown in might persuade the Cavs do help GS out?
Delonte insurance = Brevin Knight. Wait, how many open roster spots do we have? Two?
No way I would do this. That contract is just too much. I think that we need to see how Shaq affects this team. Then make up our minds and see if Z is expendable.
we need to keep big Z. I feel like jackson would not fit in with this team and might cause some problems on or off the court as he has done in the past with other teams
dammit, do not trade Z. We gotta keep him and get him a ring! I highly doubt Z would ever want to be traded anyway.
I’m sorry, but Brevin Knight is in no way, shape, or form “Delonte insurance”. Delonte is a legit starting player capable of making a huge difference. Knight is serviceable at best at this point in his career.
Having said that, I still wouldn’t do this trade and I don’t see the Cavs doing it at all. I was just trying to point out why the Cavaliers may be more likely to consider a deal like this now than they were 3 weeks ago.
Good analysis. One point that was overlooked was Z’s legacy with the Cavs. It is well known that the organization has a very strong personal relationship with the big fellow, and moving him one year before his alleged retirement would be a slap to Z, particulalry given his personal life changes with adopting two kids that are probably trying to become acclimated in their new school. That is why I do not think they trade Z unless it is a home-run deal, which Jackson is certainly not.
It is a very interesting dillema for the Cavs what to do with this valuable trading asset, as I do think Z is somewhat expendable with the Shaq acquisition, particularly given Gilbert’s motto of being a family-oriented organization.
In the end, we probably keep him for non-basketball reasons. I just hope it doesn’t impact our chance for a title.
AI
this cannot happen.
I like Jackson, but hate his contract. Given that we do not have any more Wallys/Bens to trade away, I can’t say I’d be a fan.
But like you said, this is more GSW looking to unload Jackson more than anything. And as Windy said, the Cavs will only move a big man if they get a stud in return….
sorry, excuse my language above… edit if needed.
This is not NBA Jam or NBA Live. Never trade a good big man for a good small man, period. Z is more valuable as insurance to Shaq than Steven Jackson would be as a malcontent starter.
His perimeter defense would be a big boost to the team (especially if Delonte is out/ineffective for longer than anticipated), but not enough to justify the contract, not to mention the aforementioned chemistry worries.
Additionally, although he filled in decently running the point for Golden State last year, he can be a bit of a chucker a la Ron Artest. That’s fine for the run-and-gun Warriors, but for the slow-down offense we run it leads to a ton of fast-breaks and can really wear down the team defensively. If we’re going to have someone standing around for 20+ seconds and jamming up a shot I’d rather it be Lebron than Captain Jack.
@Mike S: “Never trade a good big man for a good small man, period.”
You mean, like, say, trading Joe Smith for Mo Williams?
Never is too strong of a word. You have to make deals that make sense for your team. In this case, I agree with Scott…..especially with Jax’s salary I don’t think it’s a deal that makes sense for the Cavaliers.
I would say that Z is in no way expendable at this point. We don’t have a true back-up center, and Shaq can’t play more than 30 minutes per game. You can get away with playing Anderson Varejao at center when the other team is using an undersized option, but Varejao gets destroyed by the Dwight Howards and Yao Mings of the world. I remember Z defending pretty poorly against Howard in the playoffs, but I remember Andy as being worse, and in this case Z v. other team’s backup center is a sweet mismatch in our favor.
I would only trade Z if the other team agrees to buy him out so he can return to the Cavs in 30 days. And I would not trade him for Stephen Jackson, period.
they may just want the salary relief and will buy him out after any type of trade = ala MccDyess(sp) last yr…. if u can roll w a starting 5 of Jax, Mo, LBJ, Shaq and AV for the next 3 years, The King might b looking for a thumb ring 4 yrs from now….
Is the back court really that thin? With Mo, Parker, Delonte, Green and Lebron, it doesn’t really seem that bad. Not sure what we’ll get from Boobie, but he’s there also.
Well, Chris, the point is that we don’t know if Delonte is there. Parker isn’t a PG. That leaves Mo and Boobie to handle the point. As a result, LBJ would have to start playing point again, and the Cavs don’t want that at all. So from that standpoint Jax makes a lot of sense for Cleveland. But there are just too many reasons not to do this trade to make it work.
I agree, I’m adamant against it. Lebron could also certainly handle the point if need be, so you have that.
And I completely missed your sentence regarding that. sorry.
If we trade for Jax, will Dan Gilbert pay for robot arms?
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=yhrp334
This is absolute nonsense and will not happen. Z is still slated to be a key contributor, and will provide mismatch opportunities off the bench. With Shaq’s minutes to be managed to keep his knees fresh for the playoffs, there will be plenty of minutes for Z in the rotation. The team also wants Z to be a part of their success, he serves as inspiration.
Enough with the Stephen Jackson rumors. Those rumors all are circulating wither from Jackson himself or Golden State writers-if course they’d love to unload that malcontent.
Don’t forget that Jackson’s numbers are influenced by playing 40 minutes per game in a ridiculously fast paced offense.
Here, he’d more likely be playing 30 mins in a slooooow offense, so 13 ppg, 3.5 rpg, and 4 apg are more likely. $12 mil per year for that? No thanks.
a Z for stephen jackson trade CANT work. GS would HAVE to throw in another contract to make it work. so again, i do that trade in a heartbeat if the second contract is incentive by the name of Anthony Randolph. a starting lineup of Mo, S Jackson, LBJ, Andy/Randolph and Shaq? omg. and with moon, a bought out Z, parker, Andy/Randolph, west, gibson on the bench? omg. omg. omg.
Wait – Why would the Warriors want Z? Don’t they want to score 150 points a game and run the whole time.? How does Z fit in? Would people be into this trade and take on that contract if they were going to do this backroom wink wink style and buy him out so we could resign him?
I should have been clearer: Brevin Knight is Delonte insurance in the fact that he can handle the ball. For as much as I’ve heard Gibson “worked” on his PG skills I don’t trust him running the offense. Of course Brevin Knight can’t score/defend/freestyle like Delonte but we have Parker/Moon for that. We need another solid ball handler if West can’t go.
From that standpoint, Charlie, I do agree.
lets say something like Z, rights to Christian Eyenga and a future 1st rounder for Stephen Jackson, Anthony Randolph and a future 2nd rounder? yes, yes, yes i make that trade, especially knowing that Z gets bought out and “after exploring all options” returns to Cle at the vet minimum.
@Tom, that was a point that I forgot to make, but it’s so true. Bringing Z onto the run’n'gun Warriors makes as much sense as Shaq going to the D’Antoni Suns (which didn’t work out and they were forced to change their offensive style, whether by the new coach’s choice or because they were forced to, i dont’ know which).
Nobody on this team deserves a championship more than Z. Trading him (even if it was “known” he would return in 30 days) would be a public relations nightmare. Lets play a little ball, and see what our team looks like before we start throwing around trade rumors
A question that I have that is semi-related… how do you all think Luke Nevill will pan out? I think he could be a major sleeper. The guy was by far the best player on a Utah team that was in the NCAA tournament. He went 5-8 in his lone March Madness game against Arizona, and that was even considering being up against Jordan Hill and being double-teamed down low. The Aussie has got some talent and is honestly like a young Zydrunas Ilgauskas, minus the long jumper. It might be the long jumper that keeps him from being able to put together an NBA career, but man there’s some possibilities there.
Other stats of note are a 79% free throw percentage and 2.7 blocks per game. Not too shabby.
No way the Warriors trade Randolph. He’s got Most Improved Player written all over him.
Of course Z playing the run-n-gun doesnt make any sense. But these are the Warriors we are talking about here people, what have they done in the last 30 years that made any sense??
boom – i agree that chances are they dont move randolph. however, if they are THAT desperate to move Jackson then you never know. i would have said youre nuts that Memphis would move Pau Gasol for Marc Gason, Kwame Brown and javaris crittendon too.
I guess nobody is interested in talking Nevill. Too bad. I think this video gives you a good glimpse of what you can get from Nevill… he’s a step slow, but he changes shots, draws double teams, and shoots pretty well in this matchup against Gonzaga and Josh Heytvelt.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lO5GozLjCKw
nevill got abused defensively in that first exhibition game – against second and third stringers! at best, he is an end of the bench guy who will end up an NBDL regular or overseas. he is NOT drawing any double teams in the nba.
bill, don’t you think mike brown can teach the defense? that’s his specialty after all. I would think offensive ability and rebounding are enough of a reason to keep an eye on this guy. I definitely think he’s a project, but one that’s worth investing in.
The only person not tradable on the team is LeBron. Z has been great but by no means untouchable especially if he makes the team better.
It won’t happen for Jackson as others have said, but don’t be shocked if it happens later. Bring Z back after the season, give him a special ceremony and an honorary ring. IF he gets traded it will be for someone who pushes us over the top doing more than Z can from the bench (and doesn’t eat up cap space for 3 years).
Bill, there is absolutely no chance that Anthony Randolph gets traded for anyone other than LeBron. He’s as close to untouchable in this league as you can get.
again – agreed that its unlikely. im just saying it would take something like that for me to agree to anything involving stephen jackson.
The thought of getting Anthony Randolph is giving me the shakes right now.
if GS is that desperate to unload S-Jax, then i would be glad to help them out at the price of anthony randolph.
Lebron running the point is much more of a possibility with Shaq. I know we don’t want him to necessarily. But if Titty Gibson proves shaky, which he will, fumbling the ball like he’s touching his first “Boobie,” then LBJ takes over and we have 8 minutes a game of 2 man action. LBJ to the top of the key, out to parker on the wing, off-the-ball screen for LBJ from Andy. If the middle is open LBJ cuts and Parker delivers the pass over the top or a bounce to the backside of the cut. If not, LBJ simply uses the space to grab the ball from Parker who rubs off to the top of the key leaving LBJ to throw the entry pass to Shaq. And they play two man until either Shaq is deep enough, or LBJ can make a cut.
This will happen.
Hot toluene is my #3 recrystallization solvent behind ethanol and methanol.
Re the trade I’m with Scott: the contract is killer. The player would be great but the contract sucks.
Denny – acetonitrile is the way to go.
S Jax is not the way to go.
Do not trade Z… sorry guys. I know the big man’s best days are behind him, but we sit here and bitch about not ever having players with loyalty and this and that and here we have one of the only ones to truly and sincerely be loyal. Not to mention he’s had a damn good career with us. He deserves to at least play out his contract with the Cavs if he doesn’t retire after this year. If he wants to come back next year, that’s a bridge to cross to when you arrive at it… but no trading him now.
Z is the only Cav left left from the Pre-Lebron Era. He was drafted by the team and has been on the team ever since. Z should all out retire a Cav. He should stay with the team. Just because we have shaq doesnt mean we should trade him, because you never know what is going to happen next year. Lebron and Shaq could be gone. If Lebron and Shaq stay with the team after this season then Z if he wants to retire let him, and if he doesnt then sign him if the cavs have the money. A trade should not happen.
The only trade I would make would be Z for :sigh: Boozer… Crucify me now. Booz starts, Andy spells Shaq and D Jackson and JJ and Powe combine to spell Boozer. I hate him too, but it’d make sense. The team above the future before the past.
I think Jack will be a great addition to the team. I can really knock down those threes when we need them. Please sign him!