Will Cavs Kick "Z" To The Curb

Well, it's about that time of the year in the NBA. With less than a month to go before the trading deadline the rumors are swirling. Under performing teams are looking to dump huge salaries as they prepare room in their budgets for next years free agent crop.

In the NBA, the trading rules are very complex. For instance, if the teams are over the salary cap, the current year salaries of the players involved in any trade must be within 15% plus $100,000 of each other. So, teams with high priced player(s) with multi year contracts will trade them to willing participants in exchange for high priced players whose contacts will expire at the end of the year, thus freeing up cap space for next season.

Enter Zydrunas. It has been speculated that the lowly Washington Wizards would love to dump the salaries of both guard Gilbert Arenas and forward Antawn Jamison. Arenas is more likely to find a jail cell before he finds another team so the focus has been on Jamison.

Rumors have surfaced that the Cavaliers covet the the high scoring Jamison. The Cavs love the offensive the 6'9" forward would provide both inside and out, along with the length he would provide defensively against larger opponents on the perimeter. The Cavs fell short in that department last year in the playoffs when the Orlando Magic's Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis and Mikael Pietrus torched them continually from 3 point range.

Ilgauskus' large salary expires at the end of the year making him the prime trade bait in any Cavalier trade. Tough spot for the Cavs. "Z" is the senior member of the whole organization and has been here through the good times and bad. He worked hard to battle through several surgeries that would have ended many players careers and has played a huge part in the teams resurgence. Add to that, he is not only a fan favorite but a LeBron favorite. The King has even stated that he wants to win one for the big guy.

So when you stop to add it all up, a trade of "Z" on the cusp of a possible NBA championship could make for some bad karma. So I ask you, would a ring without "Z" taste as sweet?