Big Z Bolts for South Beach

Cleveland fan favorite Zydrunas Ilgauskus has followed suit to join LeBron James in Miami. Big Powder, as he is known on Dank Game, turned down an offer from Cleveland to help fill out the Heat's frontline. It's possible that he will sign a one-year deal, but Z is hoping to come to terms on a two-year deal.

I'm not sure how much he will sign for but I'm hoping it's the veteran's minimum because Miami can use all the cap space they can get. I think Z could fit in well with the Heat because his main strength is knocking down baseline jumpers and he will likely have a lot of open looks. Obviously he and LeBron have a close relationship, so it might help ease the transition for James.

I was hoping the Heat would find a center who is more of a banger down low. Hopefully there will be enough funds left to bring Jamaal Magloire back, who fits the description of a "banger" to a tee. Dwyane Wade likes Magloire, so it wouldn't surprise me to see him return on the cheap.

Ilgauskus has never played anywhere besides Cleveland in his 14-year career, so it will be hard for him to leave the city behind. He plans to keep a home in Cleveland and says he would like to be a part of the organization after he retires. We'll see how receptive Cavaliers brass will be to that since he's following LeBron to Miami.

Unsung Player Day: Jamaal "The Big Cat" Magloire

April 14th has become known as Unsung Player Day in the NBA blogosphere, thanks to the Lakers blog With Malice. The goal is to come up with a player who averages under 10 minutes a game, but makes the most of his time when the coach calls him up. Naturally, I immediately looked at the Miami Heat's roster to come up with my own unsung player. My initial reaction was to go with "The Dayton Kid" Daequan Cook, but to my surprise, he averages over 15 minutes a game. Also, he really hasn't contributed much this season, so I went with Canadian center Jamaal "The Big Cat" Magloire instead.

Magloire has been the epitome of a journeyman throughout his career, spending time with the Hornets, Bucks, Blazers, Nets and Mavericks before signing with the Heat. His time in Miami has seen him mostly on the bench, but when he's been called upon he's provided toughness and great effort in the middle.

Averaging just 9.7 minutes a game, he's managed to put up 2.1 points and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 50% from the floor. Obviously not overwhelming numbers, but certainly not bad for the limited minutes. He isn't shy to dish out a hard foul when players try to take it to him, so his presence alone will make the opposition think twice about driving into the lane.

One thing about Magloire that stands out to me is that Dwyane Wade seems to trust him on the pick and roll more than any other center on the Heat. Jermaine O'Neal does his best offensive work in isolation plays while fellow Canadian Joel Anthony can't catch a pass half the time.

It's hard to say whether or not Magloire will be back in a Heat uniform next season, as the Heat have most of their money tied up in trying to resign Dwyane Wade and another marquee free agent. With that said, his current salary is just $825,497 so there's definitely a chance that he'll be back as a reserve center. At 31-years old, Jamaal has hinted that he might retire sometime soon to be with his family, but he also admits that it's hard to turn down the money.