Looks like they also searched Javaris Crittenton's home for the gun he brandished, but didn't find anything. The gun is probably at the bottom of a river or tossed down a storm drain.
Time for the Wiz to play hard ball and try to invalidate his contract. Arenas and the union are going to fight tooth and nail to prevent it but the Wizard have nothing to lose, Arena's career is pretty much done in Washington so why not try to invalidate the contract on the morals clause and his felony conviction.
If the initial AP report from today is true, then it sounds like Arenas is going to plead guilty to a felony to minimize or avoid jail time. If he cops to a felony, I would say that's all the grounds the Wizards need to void his contract. Especially since the felony was committed on team property. I also think the suspension will last this season, and Arenas will be free to sign with whatever team he likes next year (provided he's not in jail). If they don't find Crittenton's gun and there's no video of the account, it sounds like he'll skate on criminal charges. However, I'm betting that Darth Stern is waiting to smack him with some kind of suspension. I think the Players' Union will lay down on this one. A self-confessed and convicted felon is not the fight the Union wants to take on. They've got a lot on their hands with a new CBA and teams hemorrhaging money. I could see them fighting a lengthy suspension on Crittenton if no criminal charges are filed against him, but Arenas is probably on his own. I'm seeing a lot of talk in this thread about how there's no harm in owning a gun. While I don't own a gun, I respect everyone's Constitutional right to own one. But ownership comes with responsibility. You don't leave them around and you don't horseplay about with them. Doing so endangers others and likewise should lead to criminal or civil penalties. I think this is a good lesson to the players who own guns: Be smart with your guns and don't act like a reckless jackass and all will be fine. Oh and don't **** with Stern.
If Artest and Stephen Jackson's contracts weren't voided, there is no way Arenas will have his entire contract voided. No way.
Were Ron Ron and Captain Jack convicted of a felony? Did they have bad contracts that a team might actually want to void? I don't think so.
IF...................the incident went down the way it has been put out to the public, that is, Gilbert brought empty guns in and Crittendon pulled out a loaded one.............then, in my humble opinion, what Artest/SJax and company did, going into the stands and actually using lethal weapons to club on people is a lot more serious than Gilbert's stupidity.
Neither Artest or Jackson were convicted of felonies over their incidents. Arenas brought a gun onto league property and is about to get a felony conviction over it. A felony conviction on team property is a much more grievous offense against the Moral's Clause in his contract. I can understand people thinking it's not as big a deal as the Artest and Jackson cases, but the ultimate criminal results are much more severe for Arenas. That's what will spell doom for him. A lack of criminal conviction will also spare Crittenton from the same treatment.
I think there's language in Arenas' contract, and the newer NBA contracts, that say a team can void the contract for certain behavior.
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If Arenas is charged with a felony (and he is) the Wiz hold the right to void his contract. I bet D.C management is jumping all over the place right now. Getting out from under 111 million??? Somebody is partying tonight
Oh, it's a lot more than $11 million. With 45 games left (45.1%), they won't have to pay Arena the remaining $7,306,182.44 this season. Or the $17,730,694 in 2010-2011. Or the $19,269,308 in 2011-2012. Or the $20,807,922 in 2012-2013. Or the $22,346,536 in 2013-2014. Yes, the Wizards will be saving $87,460,642.44 from today and beyond if his contract is voided immediately. Even if it's not immediate, they're not paying him for the current suspension so the amount remains the same if he never plays for the Wizards again.
