Bobcats: Cleveland to leave Z?

Cavs leave Z?

*Insiders say the Cavaliers will take a gamble and not protect injury-prone center Zydrunas Ilgauskas in this summer's expansion draft, believing the Charlotte Bobcats will not want to take on his contract, which pays him $14.5 million next season in its last year before he becomes a free agent. But the chance of the Bobcats drafting him, then trading him should give the Cavs second thoughts.

they prolly won't do that... Z's having a great year with the Cavs this year and just had minor injuries and missed some games... he's a piece in the puzzle for the cavs so why not protect him??

I don't think Cleveland should take the chance, unless they want to get rid of him and clear up some cap space. I wouldn't take the risk.

If next year is his last year of his contract, they should protect him. If they don't want him, use him as trade bait since many teams like expiring contracts. He is a decent player that can get something good in return so don't let him slip like that!

he's probably tied for the 3rd best true centre in the nba right now, so i think he still has some trade value. maybe dallas would want him.

Idd, see all of the above, it ain't gonna happen, though they still lose too much games with one of the better big-men-combos(Ilgauskas and Boozer) in the east, i just can't really figure out why

next year will probably be a breakout year, i think they just need time to geld as a unit, they generally have all the pieces. lets hope bron does lots of offseason work and amazes yet again.

cleveland does still lack true 3 point threats to really stretch the floor and make the bron-frontcourt tandem even more dangerous. that said, i think jamal crawford would be a good fit at the "point" (maybe only in name since i think bron will develop enough to play true point next season comfortably) here along with a turkogulu-ish player. i think the cavs need to get rid of some of their slashers (all you really need is bron and another decent combo) and get some decent spot up shooters with average-good defense, unfortuantely, those are a commodity.

if they still have their 1st-rounder to draft with i think they should draft towards dependability rather than upside. they need an average-good player who has a sort of calming influence. something like a battier maybe. although another superstar wouldnt hurt

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Last edited by hmm on Thu Jun 04, 2009 8:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.

He's still a true centre. He's not a power forward playing out of position. His game may not be the same as other centres throughout history, but that doesn't mean he's not a true centre.

Any guy who is 7'3 7'4 is a centre!
no matter how he plays his game.

Cavs would be an ass not to protect him...he's the tallest guy guy in Eastern Confrence..plus he can play...plus i'm so sure tons of teams would want to have them on their team....Centers are rare these days..and i think Z is one of the top ones...Seattle,Toronto,Philly all those teams would love to have Z if he was open so i don't see Cavs not protecting him...

Seattle,Toronto,Philly all those teams would love to have Z if he was open so i don't see Cavs not protecting him...

The only way Seattle, Toronto or Philadelphia could get him is to trade for him. Those teams would have to get together $14 million in salary to send in exchange for him? I doubt Charlotte would be taking bad contracts in return. They would probably want young players or expiring deals. The Sixers would have to part with Iverson (or at least Kenny Thomas + Eric Snow) most likely. Toronto would probably have to give up Donyell Marshall + Chris Bosh to get Charlotte to take salary crap. And unless Seattle is moving Ray Allen or Rashard Lewis...

I say, unprotect him. If Charlotte takes him, there goes half their salary cap and Cleveland is twenty million under the cap. Delicious.

2. They can pick a player and if they waive him before the season, they are free from the cap hit that would normally happen! Here's the rule:


The Salary of any player selected by an Expansion Team in an expansion draft and terminated in accordance with the NBA waiver procedure before the first day of the Expansion Team's first Season shall not be included in the Expansion Team's Team Salary, except, to the extent such Salary is paid, for purposes of determining whether the Expansion Team has satisfied its Minimum Team Salary obligation for such Season. (Article VII, Section 4)



I think this is the 10th time I'm sayng this but Cleveland can bride them to draft him, then they can waive him and he becomes a FA with no cap burdens on the Bobcats

I think this is the 10th time I'm sayng this but Cleveland can bride them to draft him, then they can waive him and he becomes a FA with no cap burdens on the Bobcats

Am I right in assuming the Cavaliers could then re-sign Z at a cheaper rate, if he was willing to do so? If so, that wouldn't be such a bad idea (dare I say scam), as long as the Bobcats waived him.

Yup thats the whole point, I heard it wasn't supposed to come out that this was allowed but someone let it out, so teams can do that with players like Ilguaskas, Penny etc, where they let the Bobcats terminates their contract and then re-sign them for less.

Or if the player doesn't want to sign back then he can go to a team that wants him but without the team getting hurt in their cap. Its like a horrible way of scamming the players but its perfectly legal, the team has to be willing to lose about 3 million and a draft pick though.

It's still a risky idea though, unless they work out a deal with Charlotte beforehand. I can't imagine the Player's Association likes it all that much.

they could trade Z for AI..........contracts match up fairly well....philly gets cap relief and gets rid of AI, Bron gets less attention with AI there....wonder how an AI-Bron tandem would look

they could trade Z for AI..........contracts match up fairly well....philly gets cap relief and gets rid of AI, Bron gets less attention with AI there....wonder how an AI-Bron tandem would look

horrible. never happens