Let me start off by saying I would never give anyone back $16 million. Also, I have no problem with Gilbert Arenas making more than $100 million over six years -- I was ecstatic when hearing a rumor my favorite team had offered him the max. Finally, Gil has shown to be one of the most generous NBA stars alive, giving away his jerseys, his shoes, and his time to fans constantly. He's a hero.
That said, his $16-million discount -- very warm, very generous for him -- does it even actually help the Wizards on the court? The surprising answer ... yes! (It's surprising because we're a cynical people.) The Washington Post's Ivan Carter reports the structure of the deal should allow the 'Zards to sign a player to the full mid-level and vet's exceptions. Had Arenas taken the max, the full mid-level would have thrust the team into luxury tax territory, which isn't going to happen. So the team can add a piece with this move.
What piece will it be? Carter offers up current 'Zard Roger Mason (he wouldn't technically take the mid-level, but would use up some of the luxury tax cushion) and roaming man James Posey. And Gil's got an extra pitch to make from whomever Washington targets.
"I want to win a championship here in D.C. I want to have a parade that goes right past the White House. Me and Barack Obama. How cool would that be? I really think that with the players we already have and with a couple of moves, we can do it."
Besides maybe Spencer Hawes, who wouldn't want to parade past President Obama? That might be a better pull than Baron Davis.
Antawn Jamison, Washington Wizards fan and bloggers everywhere can breathe easy: Gilbert Arenashas agreed to ink a lower-than-max deal which will reportedly pay him $111 million over six years.
Arenas told the Washington Times and Washington Post that he was offered a maximum deal in the neighborhood of $127 million on Tuesday, the first day of the free agency period.
"(The Wizards) offered me the max, and I'm basically giving back $16 million," Arenas told the Washington Times from China, where [he] is traveling as part of promotional tour for a shoe company. "This is in line with what I've been saying the whole time. You see players take max deals and they financially bind their teams. I don't wanna be one of those players and three years down the road your team is strapped and can't do anything about it."
Jamison was putting the screws on Arenas to resign, Wizards fans were worried they would be mediocre and fail to entertain, and well, we bloggers just like Hibachi hanging out in the capitol. It makes for good news.
Arenas had two separate max deals on the table from the Wizards and the Warriors, but no one really thought he was going to do anything other than sign again with Washington.
Agent Zero also noted that he took less than the max, and that is true. So kudos to him, but remember, Jamison did the same thing so Gil could get paid, and without any additional cap space, this is a second round team. In other words, not taking the max actually benefits Arenas in the long run as well.
But things got a little more complicated Monday night/Tuesday morning as Baron Davisopted out, and the Warriors, in response, allegedly offered Agent Zero a max deal.
Then, according to my sources, the Warriors quickly burned the phones and offered former Warrior Gilbert Arenas a maximum-level contract, one that would pay him more than $100 million over five years. My source told me that Gilbert received a flurry of phone calls from the Warriors in the first 30 minutes of free agency.
After Gilbert drove to the Verizon Center for a late night workout and a meeting with Ernie Grunfeld, the Wizards came strong with an offer of a maximum contract that covers six years for over $124 million (Not sure whether they knew about the Golden State offer or not. I hear they didn't. Ernie came strong but also laid it out for Gilbert that if he asked for the maximum, the team would be in a tough spot.)
As Ivan at the WaPo noted, Arenas is more inclined, according to sources, to take the Wizards deal. He has also, however, been approached by Sacramento with a "whatever it takes" credo.
Odds are good that he ends up returning to Washington, especially if the money is similar. On the other hand though, there are few spots in the NBA that would fully utilize his talents (some passing, mostly free reign to jack threes) more than Golden State. Actually, check that: the Warriors would be the perfect place to utilize Gil's talents. So, yes, there's some mulling going on here.
Antawn Jamison did his part to keep the current core of Washington Wizards players together for next season, signing a four year, $50 million deal with his current team. There is no huge surprise here (except for how freaking much they are giving the former Tarheel) and now we all wait with semi-baited breath to find out what Gilbert Arenas will do. And yes, I do include Jamison in "we".
"He said he'd take less money if he got me, and they got me," Jamison said. "So I think everything will get worked out with Gilbert."
[...]"There wasn't any doubt in my mind that I'd be back," said Jamison, 32, who has been a strong locker room leader during his four seasons with the Wizards.
[...]"Once he heard that I had reached a deal, he congratulated me," said Jamison, repeating a text message conversation he had with Arenas. "And I said 'I can't wait to congratulate you tomorrow."'
I get the impression from Jamison's response that if Agent Zero played games about signing on, then Antawn would probably throw a tremendous hissy, or at the very least, exert his influence on Gil, whatever that may be, to make sure the Wizards locked him up.
Crystal Ballin'takes a team-by-team look at what should, could, and probably will happen in the June 26th NBA Draft.
Can a team win without defense? The "success" of teams like the Suns, Nuggets and Warriors the last several years says no, as does this year's success (no sarcastic quotation marks needed this time) of the Celtics. The Wizards have been slow to get the memo, though, instead hoping their failures have been the result of untimely injuries.
Picks: #18, #47
Needs: What the Wizards really need is to re-sign Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison. As for the draft, it'll be tough for a rookie to crack the rotation regardless of position. Since the draft is so deep with big man, I'm guessing that's what they'll end up.
Best case scenario: How about Roy Hibbert? After playing four years at Georgetown, he wouldn't even have to leave the District. Plus, he's a bit more polished than some of the other big man and stands the best chance of contributing meaningful minutes as a rookie. Alternatively, if a point guard like Mario Chalmers falls in their lap, he'd be hard to pass up.
Elie Seckbach, the Embedded NBA Correspondent, brings his exclusive NBA reporting to FanHouse. Check back here regularly for more videos.
In this video we ask Stanford star Brook Lopez about the NBA Draft. We also find out from Shaquille O'Neal, the number one pick of the 1992 draft, about his law enforcement career and his efforts to catch online predators. Also find out from Gilbert Arenas, a late second draft pick in 2001, what he would be doing if he was not an NBA All-Star. Around 1:45 into the video hear what Ira Newble, a long time NBA veteran, has to say about making to the NBA without being drafted.
Gilbert Arenas isn't leaving Washington, despite opting out of the last year of his contract, which would have paid him around $13 million next season. Arenas and the Wizards have secretly agreed on a new multi-year deal, according to a GM friend of Washington executive Ernie Grunfeld.
I have no doubt that this could be true. I do, however, find it incredibly unlikely that Mitch Lawrence from NYC would find out about it before the stars at the Washington Post, Ivan Carter and Michael Lee.
The anatomy behind a rumor like this is fascinating. Not to besmirch the good name of Mitch Lawrence, but it's possible he could have created this from steam and lil' smokies: Gilbert's probably going to sign with D.C. anyway, so what's the harm in earning a freebie by making up a source who says it's happening? Or: some "GM friend" of Grunfeld heard the Wizards really do want to keep Gil, so this rumor gets floated.
I know the draft/trade/free agent season is full of misdirection and purposeful lies. I'm on board with all that. But seeing a throwaway line like this in a Sunday notes column really puts the silly season in perspective. It makes me wish Gil hadn't retired from the blog game so he could clear all this up.
Via HoopsHype, which I think makes me some sort of hypocrite.
After a great amount of discussion about Gilbert Arenas and his contract status, Agent Zero has gone ahead and pulled the trigger. According to Arenas, in a Washington Post article, he filed to opt out of the final year of his contract with the Washington Wizards on Friday and will test the free agent market.
Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld has stated numerous times that the team plans to resign both Arenas and Antawn Jamison, and Arenas has stated that resigning Jamison is a requirement for his return to DC. With Arenas going and ahead and opting out, according to him to "get it out of the way," the Wizards are going to be doling out some cash this summer.
Particularly interesting is the fact that Arenas is going through this process without an agent. Take a second and imagine what those conversations must be like. With Gilbert Arenas untethered, it's entirely possible his contract demands could include a flamethrower or something.
If Antawn is not back, then there's no point in me coming back because he's part of my success, too. When you're doing pick and roll with a player like him, they can't double you, they can't trap you because you have a pick and pop guy who can shoot the three at your four position. My success is because of him too. If he doesn't come back, I'm not coming back.
"We're on the same page, then. Because we want to sign Antawn. We want to sign Gilbert," Grunfeld said. "I kind of liked it. He's supportive of his teammate. And he enjoys playing with Antawn. And that's been our plan all along. I'm glad to see everyone in the organization is on the same page."
... in which a national pizza chain of dubious quality lashes out at an NBA superstar and then faces the wrath of the entire state of Ohio.
D.C. food blog So Good reports t-shirts bearing the number 23, the name "Crybaby" and a Papa John's logo were handed out at Game 6 of Cavs-Wizards in Washington. Yep, that's the 3rd largest pizza chain the United States (according to Wikipedia, at least) making fun of LeBron James, The Global Icon. And hey! there it is on the right!
In the comments at So Good, someone purporting to be a Papa John's GM in northeast Ohio says they've received several calls threatening a boycott. I have no clue why Papa John's would do this, considering (as So Good notes) the chain has a ton of locations in Ohio, and furthermore isn't even based in D.C. Is the chain a Wizards sponsor or something?
Actually, I think Papa John has been framed. The suspect is obvious: it's the Noid!
Let me start off by saying I would never give anyone back $16 million. Also, I have no problem with Gilbert Arenas making more than $100 million over six years -- I was ecstatic when hearing a rumor my favorite team had offered him the max. Finally, Gil has shown to be one of the most generous NBA stars alive, giving away his jerseys, his shoes, and his time to fans constantly. He's a hero.
Oh, Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News ... 
After a great amount of discussion about 
Yesterday in his blog, 
... in which a national pizza chain of dubious quality lashes out at an NBA superstar and then faces the wrath of the entire state of Ohio.
