Wizards near buyout with Ilgauskas
Zydrunas Ilgauskas(notes) 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(notes) 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.
“ 'Z' does not want to go to Washington and knows that there are plenty of good teams that want to sign him,” Rudoy said. “He’s going to take his time.”
Players have to wait 30 days before re-signing with the team that just traded them.
Rudoy insists the NBA hasn’t contacted him about any evidence of a prearranged deal, and vehemently denied anything had been arranged among the Wizards, Cavs and Ilgauskas to get the center back to Cleveland for the playoffs.
“I signed off on the document that there are no other deals in place on this, and I’m not going to put my practice of representing players in jeopardy if that wasn’t true,” Rudoy said.
