Gilbert thinks that his antics are still endearing to fans and doesn’t realize that he is no longer viewed as the playful Agent Zero. By bringing weapons into the locker room, his image instantly morphed from lovable and eccentric gunner to gun toting criminal.
Gilbert has done irreparable damage to his public image and no longer has the luxury of casually taking games off to help a teammate. Switching from number 0 to 8 isn’t going to make fans forget the impact his actions and massive salary have had on a once perennial playoff contender.
The sad part is that I don’t think he understands the reality of his actions yet. Gilbert doesn’t strike me as a player who would maliciously sabotage a franchise. I think he just is not self aware enough to make the right choices.