http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/rumors/...lt=AhPhbinQAafbzstHypE0JZ.8vLYF?urn=nba,30926 Arenas won't demand max contract if it helps Wizards' Wednesday, May 2, 2007 2:38 pm EDT Washington Wizards' guard Gilbert Arenas has said he does not want a maximum contract if it means limiting the capacity of general manager Ernie Grunfeld to secure talent. The wants of Arenas are fairly simple. He wants to be with a team that can go deep into the playoffs. Arenas could opt out of his contract after next season. It is an option Arenas said he would exercise if the franchise is not where he thinks it should be. Source: Washington Times
Thats true but just to see a player come out and say this makes me feel good. You just don't get any players coming out and saying they'll take a pay cut if it means winning. I guess Agent Zero is all about winning!
What he is really saying is: You better get some good players around me or otherwise I am going to another team next year.
That's true, but at the same time, he's giving them every opportunity by not demanding a max contract. I think they just need (1) health and (2) a better post presence. For all the stupid, childish, annoying things he does that are starting to ruin his rep...this is really classy. Even Garnett does not do this. Also, how often does a team where their scoring is dominated so much by their PG (like Arenas) make the finals? It just doesn't seem to be a formula that works. Arenas himself might be the reason he won't go deep into the playoffs, maybe they need another PG to play alongside Arenas? AI and the Sixers were the last one I am aware of...
he may not be demanding max from wizards but if a contender offers him max, i'm pretty sure he'll leave DC
I realize they had Shaq, but the Heat won on the back of Wade's scoring, and he gets a bunch of minutes at PG.
We'll have to see what actually happens. Gilbert is a max player, plain and simple! If he re-signs with the Wizards for less than the max then my appreciation of him will grow exponentially, and he's already one of my favorite players. But talk is cheap at the moment.
I don't think this is good news for the Wizards. He's essentially saying that their ability to pay him more than any other team when he becomes a free agent will not help them on their next contract negotiation. If they are not competitive enough on the court, he will leave, regardless of dollars. If a competitive team has significant room under the cap (which is a rarity), he'll jump, because it's pretty unlikely that the Wizards will be a legit contender in 2 years. As for him taking a paycut if they are a contender, I'm not really seeing it. If the Wizards are a contender, they probably have a roster that's pretty set and no cap room. He could conceivably take a less-than-max contract so that the team could use the MLE without going into the luxury tax. And, I'm sure when he says less than max, he's still thinking of something way above MLE for himself. I don't think it's too likely he'll sign for a million so they can give Scottie Pippen $60 million.
Gilbert is all about basketball Moneywise? He'll make that up from other sponsors and people who apprieciate they way he does things
Wizards need to make big moves on their roster, is what they need to do. 3 scorers that are mediocore otherwise aren't going to do it. Having your primary scorer be your PG isn't going to do it. This team has no real halfcourt offense, they just swing the ball to Arenas/Butler/AJ and iso. It was like that with Hughes, too. Their defense is a joke, when it used to be weak but with opportunistic plays. They've got to find a tall distributing PG that can play D against either guard spot (Antonio Daniels isn't that guy), and a defensive F/C that will focus only on setting picks and getting boards. Eddie Jordan has to force them to play offense as a team - to this day I'm stunned he hasn't gotten them into a motion offense. Evan
Both true.. I think this is a cop-out so he doesn't look like an ass if he leaves the team next year.. He can always shift the blame on the team by saying he gave them a year's notice.. At the same time if Wizards sign respectable talent, he'll have to take less money cause he said he would. Word is Bond yo. We'll see what happens.. A contender can not offer the same MAX as his current team.. his current team can offer him the MOST and then the other teams have their own MAX.. I'm thinking these numbers will be about the same anyways.. Gilbert taking less money from Wiz or taking Max elsewhere.. (it'll still be pretty high).. so money won't be the deciding factor at that point.. What Gilbert is really saying is "I'll go to another team even if it means taking less money, if this team is not where I want it to be".. Deadline - one year.
