- Joined
- Apr 8, 2007
- Messages
- 21,111
- Reaction score
- 57,871
- Points
- 148
A piece with more comments from Z's agent. Everybody's doing their job...
http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/2010/02/19/zs-heart-is-in-cleveland-his-agent-says/
Z’s heart is in Cleveland, his agent says
Filed by Brian Dulik February 19th, 2010 in Sports.
CLEVELAND — Zydrunas Ilgauskas spent his first day with the Washington Wizards the same way he spent his last day as a member of the Cavaliers.
The popular center remained in Northeast Ohio — relaxing at his suburban home with his wife, Jennifer, and their two young sons — while pondering the next move in his NBA career.
“He might have to go to Washington to take a physical, which would be (today), but he’s still in Cleveland,” Herb Rudoy, Ilgauskas’ longtime agent, said Thursday. “We’re going to spend some time thinking about what’s happened and where to go from here.”
Though franchise cornerstone Ilgauskas was traded to Washington in a three-team deal that brought Antawn Jamison to Cleveland, the Wizards are almost certain to buy out the remainder of his $11.5 million contract and make him a free agent.
Rudoy said he has been in contact with Washington general manager Ernie Grunfeld to facilitate such a move, along with “a great number of (other) teams” that are interested in signing the 7-foot-3 pivot once he hits the market.
But the agent admits, “‘Z’ knows and I know, for sure, how much Cavaliers fans love him and how they’ve reacted to the trade. His heart truly is in Cleveland.”
As long as Ilgauskas is bought out by March 1, he will be playoff-eligible wherever he lands, but could not re-sign with the Cavaliers until March 19 — four weeks before the postseason begins.
In the meantime, Ilgauskas can expect to be courted by other title contenders, including Dallas and Denver. Though the beloved Lithuanian had been a loyal part of Cleveland’s organization since June 26, 1996, he plans on testing the open waters.
“I wouldn’t rule out ‘Z’ coming back to Cleveland, but this is about what’s best for him and his family,” Rudoy said. “He realizes now that this is a business decision, just as the Cavs made a business decision by trading him.”
Personal feelings, however, will no doubt enter the equation, as Ilgauskas recently said: “There are no greener pastures anywhere else. I want to retire as a Cavalier.”
Cleveland fans have reciprocated those thoughts with more than 3,100 joining a Facebook group called “Get Big Z back in Cleveland,” and another 11,000 voting in a poll within the first 18 hours of the trade. In the latter online forum, 81 percent said they will not be happy about the Jamison deal unless Ilgauskas is brought back.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen, except it’s going to be his decision,” Rudoy said. “He’s still a very good player and he’s said the most important thing at this point in his career is winning a championship, so that will probably be the biggest factor.”
Whether it takes a week — or a month, as Cleveland hopes — for Ilgauskas to decide where he will suit up in the 2010 playoffs, it will be a peaceful period.
After being the subject of countless trade rumors throughout the season, both “Z” and his agent are happy that part of the process is done.
“I’m relieved it’s finally over,” Rudoy admitted. “I had no doubt it was going to happen because the Cavaliers made it clear they were going to try and improve their team, and the only way they really could do that was by using ‘Z’s’ contract. Now, we can all move forward.”
http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/2010/02/19/zs-heart-is-in-cleveland-his-agent-says/