Cleveland, OH – Zydrunas Ilgauskas is back with the time center is joining the front office as special assistant to the general manager.
Ilgauskas, 36, spent 12 of his 13 NBA seasons with Cleveland, which chose him 20th overall in the 1996 draft. He played with the Cavaliers until the 2010-11 season, when he signed with the Miami Heat.
He is the Cavaliers' all-time leader in games played, rebounds and blocks, while ranking second in points.
"I am really excited to come back to the Cavaliers, a team that I have so much history with and contributing to our future success," said Ilgauskas in a release. "I'm also looking forward to learning more about this game that I love so much and working with (general manager) Chris Grant and the rest of the organization in every way that I can."
Ilgauskas' responsibilities will include evaluation of amateur and professional prospects.
"We are very pleased to have Z begin the next phase of his basketball career with the Cavaliers and I am looking forward to working closely with him," Grant said. "Z has always had a great desire to learn and succeed and he already has a deep understanding and appreciation of the game and the NBA. We are extremely happy to welcome him back as part of our franchise."
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