Cavaliers center Shaquille O'Neal traveled to Maryland Sunday with Cavaliers head team physician Dr. Richard Parker from The Cleveland Clinic for additional evaluation of his right thumb sprain by Dr. Thomas Graham at the National Hand Center in Baltimore.

O'Neal is now scheduled to undergo surgery to repair the thumb Monday morning at Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore.

The surgery will be performed by Dr. Graham, with Dr. Parker assisting.

His status will be updated following the surgery and a time table for his return to play will be established at that point.

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy doesn't think the MVP race will be close this season.

James won the NBA's Most Valuable Player award last season.

"It's over," Van Gundy said. "LeBron's going to get the award."

Van Gundy did say, however, that guys like Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant should be in the conversation.

A Mavericks representative told ESPN.com on Sunday that agent Herb Rudoy informed the team that Zydrunas Ilgauskas intends to re-sign with the Cavaliers.

Rudoy has repeatedly insisted that Ilgauskas won't make a firm decision until next week.

NBA rules dictate that Ilgauskas must wait 30 days before re-signing with Cleveland, who traded him to Washington for Antawn Jamison earlier this month.

Cavaliers center Shaquille O'Neal was scheduled to have his injured right thumb looked at by a specialist on Sunday.

Dr. Thomas Graham of the National Hand Center in Baltimore was expected to look at the thumb.

An MRI Saturday confirmed the injury was a significant sprain.

O'Neal will miss Monday's game against New York after suffering the injury on Thursday against Boston.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have recalled guard/forward Danny Green from the Erie BayHawks of the NBA Development League, Cavaliers General Manager Danny Ferry announced today.

Green was assigned to Erie on Feb. 24 and played in two games (one start) with the BayHawks, averaging 25.5 points on .415 shooting, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 4.0 steals, and 1.0 block in 35.5 minutes per game. In his most recent game with the BayHawks against the Dakota Wizards on Feb. 26, he scored a game-high 36 points on 13-28 shooting (.464), including making 6-12 (.500) from three-point range, and added team highs of nine rebounds and three steals in 44 minutes.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas has made up his mind and still intends to re-sign with the Cavaliers, sources told ESPN Cleveland.

The Cavaliers traded Ilgauskas to the Wizards in the three-team deal that landed them Antawn Jamison.

The veteran center reached a buyout agreement with Washington on Thursday.

He'll be eligible to sign with Cleveland on March 22.

Phil Jackson once again was critical of the NBA's loophole that allowed Cleveland to deal away Zyrunas Ilgauskas for Antawn Jamison.

"It's something that's going to have to be addressed in the next (collective bargaining agreement),'' Jackson said of the rule in its current form. "It's a sham of sorts to make that kind of trade. You're not really trading a player. You're just trading a money situation. It's a sham, and I think it's a disrespect for the league and the players to be involved in this type of a thing.''

Jackson had expressed disapproval last week about the deal, calling it a "weird situation.''

Jackson said perhaps the rule should be changed to make it a waiting period of multiple months before a player could return to the team that dealt him.

"You only have a rule about not being able to trade the player after you signed him in free agency until mid-December after you signed him in August,'' Jackson said of the rule that calls for a player signed as a free agent during the offseason not being eligible to be traded until Dec. 15 or 90 days, whichever is later. "Maybe something like that could be instituted where it's two or three months ... if it's the same team. Otherwise, it's just kind of charades.''

Shaquille O'Neal left Thursday night?s game at Boston in the second quarter with a significant right thumb sprain.

He did not return to the game and is listed as 'out' for Friday's game at Toronto. He will be re-evaluated today in Toronto and his status will be updated as appropriate.

Soon after center Zydrunas Ilgauskas was waived by the Wizards on Thursday, LeBron James began a pitch to re-sign the veteran.

"He knows I would love for him to be back here. I want him to be back here, especially while we're contending for a title," LeBron James said. "He's one of the main reasons why I want to win a title for this team."

The Cavaliers traded Ilgauskas on Feb. 17 as part of the three-team trade that sent Antawn Jamison to Cleveland.

Shaquille O'Neal suffered a severely sprained right thumb in the first half of the Cavs' game in Boston on Thursday night.  The Cavs beat the Celtics, 108-88.

O'Neal did not play in the second half.  He will be re-evaluated to determine how long the injury will keep him out of action.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas reached a buyout agreement with the Wizards but will not be eligible to return to Cleveland until March 21.  The Cavs are considered heavy favorites to re-sign Ilgauskas and may need the veteran center more than ever if O'Neal is sidelined for a significant period of time.