Zydrunas Ilgauskas is coming back to Miami.

[charlie121]

Zydrunas Ilgauskas is coming back to Miami. Big Z informed the Miami Heat he will exercise his $1.4 million player option for next season.

The move guarantees his salary but not a roster spot, as the Heat could cut him to make room for another player down the line.

Ilgauskas had been considering retirement all season, but it looks like the prospect of teaming up with the Big Three in glamorous Miami (and trying to win an NBA title - something Big Z has not done in his 13-year career) was preferable to retiring to his native Lithuania.

http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/sports/Big ... 78634.html

[Vertical Limit]

Cut him.

[Miamis3rdRing]

Cut him.

[LikeABosh]

Cut him.

[Pimpwerx]

Yeah...I'd cut him. What's the point in holding onto him? So he ride the pine in the playoffs? I thought the team would convince him to end the contract and then maybe compensate him with a partial for training camp. Now his salary goes against the cap. PEACE.

[truthiness]

i'd rather he gets a free ride to a ring than magloire or dampier. especially dampier.

i am only halfway joking when i say this:

sometimes i think the gods of basketball punished the heat for trying to give dampier a free ring. i mean .... it's poetical justice (at least for the mavs) to get their revenge on the heat and at the same time not to allow dampier to get a ring - dampier, the guy who played well for one season (a contract year), got paid and then, for 6 years, took underperforming and sucking to great new levels rarely seen before.

[-MK-]

Yeah...I'd cut him. What's the point in holding onto him? So he ride the pine in the playoffs? I thought the team would convince him to end the contract and then maybe compensate him with a partial for training camp. Now his salary goes against the cap. PEACE.

How does that matter? It's very unlikely that he'd create any capspace and even more unlikely that we could use that capspace to sign anyone to a bigger contract that the MLE (but of course we don't know the new rules yet). And we'd probably be paying luxury tax anyway.

I'd say, let him get a ring.

[DWadeno3]

i'd rather he gets a free ride to a ring than magloire or dampier. especially dampier.

i am only halfway joking when i say this:

sometimes i think the gods of basketball punished the heat for trying to give dampier a free ring. i mean .... it's poetical justice (at least for the mavs) to get their revenge on the heat and at the same time not to allow dampier to get a ring - dampier, the guy who played well for one season (a contract year), got paid and then, for 6 years, took underperforming and sucking to great new levels rarely seen before.

Magloire deserves a ring just as much as Ilgauskas does.
Screw Dampier though. I hate players who have one good year to cash in and then just chill and suck.

[Heej]

I'd rather see Z get carried to a ring moreso than most of our other vets. The guy has overcome so much in his career, I'm willing to give him one more season so he can achieve his biggest dream then ride off into the sunset with a chip.

[Pimpwerx]

Yeah...I'd cut him. What's the point in holding onto him? So he ride the pine in the playoffs? I thought the team would convince him to end the contract and then maybe compensate him with a partial for training camp. Now his salary goes against the cap. PEACE.

How does that matter? It's very unlikely that he'd create any capspace and even more unlikely that we could use that capspace to sign anyone to a bigger contract that the MLE (but of course we don't know the new rules yet). And we'd probably be paying luxury tax anyway.

I'd say, let him get a ring.

Yeah, I wasn't understanding the cap rules too well, so I thought getting under the new proposed cap would offer us some advantages, but it won't. There's no issue with Z getting paid, but I'd still rather use his roster slot for someone more able-bodied. We'll have Joel and Dexter on roster next year. I'm hoping we add a center, so Z can wear a suit the whole season. PEACE.

[salqaddoumi]

Ugh.

[We-Are-Lasers]

Big Cat > Big Z. If this costs Cat a spot I will not be impressed. Z can stay by all means but if it is in the way of signing a guy like Redd or some other player we can actually USE then I will be pissed. Cat should be the only one allowed to ride us for a title. Been here from bad to good, he should be rewarded for it.

[CablexDeadpool]

This offseason sucks...

Big Z can't even make it up the court, wtf he gonna do, sit and watch?

Hey at least he getting paid for courtside seats!

[Vertical Limit]

It's all business guys, he knows he will get cut but he's going to get his money before he goes.

[zogster]

Well on the bright side, if there is a lockout maybe Z will not be so worn down by the playoffs. He was actually pretty effective offensively early on.

He's also a class act and great professional. He can teach guys like Pittman and perhaps the Heat's rookie(s) next year how to carry themselves.

[Kerosene]

It's all business guys, he knows he will get cut but he's going to get his money before he goes.

Yup, I thought this was pretty obvious.

[Tuff Gong]

It would be criminal if he gets a spot on next year's team over any young players that impress during camp/preseason. I still think Beverly earned a spot over a few of the vets that made last year's team (not Z, just saying) and was robbed of that chance.

[diablerouge]

Our stars each want their token, useless big on the team. Bron gets Big Z, D-Wade gets Big Cat. They will likely be in suits most nights, whatever.

[SweetTouch]

you guys are bitching about the 12th man on the team,, 12th man

[indiegrind]

I dont mind Z at the end of the bench for some spot minutes. Its when he starts and slows us down is when I have a problem.

Z gave us all he had to give this season. He did ok at times but the main problem with having him was that he was either being forced into the starting lineup, or not being used at all.

Z's a good body to have on the bench who can still tap in a few rebounds and hit a few shots.