Story updated at 10:21 p.m.; video at end of story

Zydrunas Ilgauskas said he had some unfinished business in Cleveland.

"I just wanted to get the deal done, finish the season here and win this damn thing," he said, referring to an NBA championship. "We've been waiting long enough."

So Ilgauskas, the team's beloved center who was traded to the Washington Wizards on Feb. 17 and later released, signed a one-year deal to rejoin the Cavs on Tuesday after the team cut forward Darnell Jackson. Ilgauskas flew with the Cavs to New Orleans, where coach Mike Brown intends to play him tonight against the Hornets.

That will end his 34-day exile -- and not a minute too soon for Ilgauskas, his coaches, his teammates and his legion of fans.

"I just want to thank them," Ilgauskas said of the fans. "Their support has been unbelievable. They're one of the main reasons why I chose to come back here. The way people have treated me -- not only after the trade, but throughout the years I've been here -- they made me feel part of this community.

"I'm from Lithuania, and I will always be proud of it, but I always say this has become like a home to me. It has been really a humbling experience in a good way to see how people reacted. I really appreciate that, and that was one of the big reasons I chose to come back."

Ilgauskas, the franchise leader in games played, rebounds and blocked shots, signed through the end of the season. The Cavs used a portion of their biannual exception to sign him for about $1 million. Combined with the trade bonus he received as part of his contract, the new deal will make up for the $1.5 million Ilgauskas gave up to the Wizards to get out of his contract and become a free agent.

Cavs at New Orleans Hornets

Tipoff: 8 p.m., New Orleans Arena.

TV/radio: Fox Sports Ohio; WTAM AM/1100.

Notable: Cavs have won seven straight overall, two straight against the Hornets. But they have lost their past three games in New Orleans. . . . Cavs bench is averaging 30.1 points, 17.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 92.3 minutes, well above last year's bench averages. It is holding opponents' reserves to a league-low 26 points. . . . Hornets point guard Chris Paul, who missed the first game against the Cavs this season, returned from knee surgery and had 11 points and three assists in Monday's 115-99 victory over Dallas.

-- Mary Schmitt Boyer

The Cavs offered him a two-year deal that could have been worth as much as $3 million, but Ilgauskas opted for the one-year deal.

Although he will turn 35 in June, he has maintained that he would like to continue to play. This deal keeps all his options open, while allowing him to focus on his No. 1 goal.

"I'm obviously very happy to be back here with my guys," said Ilgauskas, who rejected overtures from several teams, including Dallas and Denver. "It has been a long month. I'm just anxious to get back. I felt like I left a lot of good friends, friends who feel like a part of my family. I left a lot of good people behind. It just didn't feel right going somewhere else.

"The reason why I came back is those guys in the locker room. I have a special bond with them. I just didn't want to leave them out there. I wanted to be out there with them. If I would have left, and the team would have won a championship without me, I don't think I could have ever forgiven myself."

That being said, Ilgauskas did admit, "It has been a strange season."

With the addition of Shaquille O'Neal, Ilgauskas was relegated to the bench for the first time in his career. There was the awkward situation in November, when, poised to become the franchise leader in games played, Ilgauskas didn't get in the game in the first half and then was too upset to play in the second.

Finally, as a veteran player in the last year of his contract, he was an attractive option for teams looking to cut payroll next season, which was why he was sent to Washington in the three-team deal that brought Antawn Jamison and Sebastian Telfair.

The Wizards agreed to buy him out and put him on waivers. Once he cleared waivers, he was a free agent able to sign with any team. But to take advantage of a loophole in the collective bargaining agreement -- one sure to be closed in any new CBA -- he had to wait 30 days to rejoin the Cavs.

"We're just happy to have him back," Cavs General Manager Danny Ferry said.

"Everybody on the team loves Z," coach Mike Brown said. "Everybody is happy he's here, and Z obviously is happy to be back."

Ferry acknowledged trading Ilgauskas was tough for him.

"It was a challenging decision because Zydrunas has been such an important part of our franchise," Ferry said. "Zydrunas has been a good friend of mine, and [of] other people in the organization. It's not something Mike Brown wanted to talk about. It's not something anybody wanted to talk about. But, ultimately, I think making the trade was a positive for us, and this is a nice final result.

"But it was a very challenging decision to make. I think he was pretty emotional initially. I think he got his emotions in check and started to look at the situation and knew that he wanted to still live in Cleveland and be here for the great things that can happen ahead."

Plain Dealer reporter Brian Windhorst contributed to this story.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: mschmitt@plaind.com, 216-999-4668