The Wizards have reached a buyout agreement with center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, according to a person with knowledge of the negotiations. The 7-foot-3 Ilgauskas is expected to pay back between $1 million and $1.5 million of his $11.5 million contract, the person said. Ilgauskas agreed to the terms late Wednesday night. A formal announcement will likely come on Thursday.From Michael Cunningham in the AJC:
Though it is widely assumed Ilgauskas will return to the Cavaliers, who drafted him in 1997, his agent has said Ilgauskas will consider signing with the Hawks and will take the weekend to think over his decision. Dallas, Denver, and Utah also are expected to make pitches to the 7-foot-3 center. The Cavs would have to wait 30 days until after they traded him to re-sign him while any other team can sign him after a 48-hour waiver period.Size: Ilgauskas would provide the Hawks with an apparently much-needed fourth backup center.
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Ilgauskas would add three things the Hawks can use: size, shooting and playoff experience (64 games).
Shooting : Ilgauskas shoots even more long jumpers than Smith. 53% of Ilgauskas' field goal attempts have come at least 16 feet from the basket: Ilgauskas' 46.7 eFG% is his lowest in seven seasons despite a career-low usage rate (almost 20% lower than his career average) and his 49.9 TS% is a career low. To be fair, both marks are better than what the Hawks are getting from Joe Smith (40.1 eFG%, 45.2 TS%). compared to 48.8% of Smith's field goal attempts.
Playoff experience: Ilgauskas would give Mike Woodson two ineffectual veteran big men to play ahead of Al Horford and Josh Smith should either commit two fouls in the first half.
Unmentioned is defense. Who wants to see Ilgauskas try and switch every screen? Don't all raise your hands at once. He's also well-below his career averages in block rate, steal rate, defensive rebound rate, and above his career average in fouls committed. He is no longer the (very good) player you remember.
Per the post title, I think it's even more delusional to believe that Ilgauskas would help the Hawks than that he would sign with the Hawks.
2 comments:
I would be surprised if he ended up anywhere besides Cleveland. That being said, they have one of the most logjammed frontcourts in the league and I wouldn't blame him for wanting to go somewhere where he could get more playing time on a playoff team.
On the upside, the Hawks might be the first NBA team to play two players whose names both started with 'Z'.
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