Arenas agrees to deal with Wizards

[silvershamrocker]

http://www.washtimes.com/news/2008/jul/04/arenas-agrees-to-deal-with-wizards/


A six-year deal worth $111 million.

[Roy Hobbs]

This was eye-catching:

Washington Wizards All-Star point guard Gilbert Arenas informed team president Ernie Grunfeld that he will re-sign with the team, agreeing to a six-year deal worth $111 million.

Arenas, who is in China doing a promotional tour with Adidas, had received a max contract offer from the Wizards worth $127 million over six years just after midnight on Tuesday.

Arenas, who also received a five-year $101 million offer from the Golden State Warriors, told Grunfeld at the time that he would agree to a deal with the Wizards, but wanted to wait until the salary cap and luxury tax figures for the coming season were released by the NBA on Tuesday before agreeing to an offer. His reasoning was he wanted to know exactly what financial situation the team stood in and didn't want accepting a max offer to put the team over the luxury tax and cripple team team financially for years to come.

Arenas told the team he would "leave money on the table" so the Wizards would have flexibility to make other moves in free agency both this summer and in future offseasons.

But after two days of mulling over the offer and considering how he could "help the team," Arenas said he didn't feel like waiting until Tuesday, and instead informed Grunfeld of his decision.

"[The Wizards] offered me the max, and I'm basically giving back $16 million," Arenas said. "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."

You don't hear that very often.  The team was willing to give him more money, and he told them no.  Gilbert is definitely an enigma. 

[cordobes]

You don't hear that very often.  The team was willing to give him more money, and he told them no.  Gilbert is definitely an enigma. 

A rare thing, indeed. But, as he says, he lived up to his words. Talked the talk and walked the walk. Kudos to him.

[Mr October]

That's cool. Gilbert deserves a TP! 

[Who]

Gotta love Gilbert. Great signing for the Washington Wizards. Now they just have to re-do the rest of the squad.

[bbc3341]

I think Arenas is a fun guy, interesting, a good guy and someone I like. But I do not think he is worth this kind of money. But I mean what were the Wizards' options? They had to sign him, I mean he is a very good player, but he does not elevate a team to another level like LeBron, KG, Kobe, Paul, Duncan, DWill, do. But that's Washington's reality right now. But who knows, this guy is so enigmatic, maybe he'll come back next year and be the MVP, you just don't know... he has crazy talent, but sometimes I get the feeling that his individual success comes at the detriment to the team.

[GLS]

*clapping slowly*

Nice to see an established player leave cash on the table for his team's future benefit.  Wonder if his agent was torqued?