Former All-Star guard Gilbert Arenas is close to signing a one-year deal to play in China.
Oct 222012
Oct 222012
Unable to find an NBA team willing to sign him, Gilbert Arenas plans to play in China this season.
Sep 282012
L.A. native Gilbert Arenas was playing pickup ball in the Lakers’ practice facility as recently as Thursday, but Arenas has yet to secure a training camp invite for the coming season.
Not from the Lakers or the Clippers, his two preferred destinations, or anyone else.
So …
Sources with knowledge of Arenas’ thinking told ESPN.com that the former All-Star is giving strong consideration to starting the season in China.
Arenas has spent the bulk of the offseason working out under the care of the trusted Joe Abunassar while dropping in on the occasional open gym at the Lakers’ or Clippers’ practice facilities and, by all accounts, looking good in those pickup games.
Sep 112012
I would say no, mostly because we’re talking about Andray Blatche here. Occasionally a player completely changes course at age 26, but it’s smarter to bet against this happening. I believe we’ll be seeing more plays like this in Brooklyn if Blatche manages to make his way onto the court:
This is not to say Blatche lacks talent. He’s large, long and could conceivably play either frontcourt position. He has a nice-looking jumper, though it doesn’t go in enough to justify how often he hoists that shot.
Blatche‘s problems, though, are manifold. He doesn’t create for others, averaging more turnovers than assists over the course of his career. When he tries to operate outside his comfort zone of simply shooting, disaster often ensues.
Blatche also has “character concerns,” a broad description that applies to things such as participating in Gilbert Arenas’ finger guns display (via ESPN) to openly staring down his coach after a made basket.
All of this could be shrugged aside if Andray Blatche could play passable defense. He can’t. He’s an atrocious defender, by instinct, effort and conditioning. Few are worse on that end, and frontcourt players are crucial to almost any defense.
Perhaps I could envision a Blatche fit in Brooklyn if it needed his services. The problem is, he’s good at what the Nets have and bad at what they need. The Nets have scorers in Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez. Unless there are injuries, they should be fine on that end.
What Brooklyn needs, desperately, is defense. It was the second-worst-ranked club on D last season, and there is little reason to expect a massive improvement this year. Lopez is returning from injury, but he’s one of the worst defensive centers in basketball.
Where does Blatche fit in? What is his role? On this particular team, I can’t see it.
Read more Brooklyn Nets news on BleacherReport.com
Aug 082012
There are plenty of former All-Stars who have yet to sign including Tracy McGrady, Gilbert Arenas and Jermaine O’Neal … Up close with Kyle Wiltjer of the Kentucky Wildcats
Jul 252012
When former Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas signed a gigantic $111 million contract extension back in the summer of 2008, we sharply disagreed with the move , while giving a knowing nod to Arenas’ reputation as the NBA’s lovable goofball prince. Undeterred, Arenas set to spending that money and enhancing that reputation by beginning construction on a massive D.C.-area mansion complete with a grotto, an infamous shark tank (that cost $5,000 a month in maintenance bills), seven bedrooms, seven bathrooms, and a couple of “sitting rooms” that sit between bedrooms and bathrooms that Gilbert clearly didn’t use much as his knees ( and reputation ) fell apart over the years since.
Things bottomed out in 2011-12 for Gil, as he sat on the end of the bench in Memphis, two teams away from Washington and working for a minimum salary after hitting the waiver wire in late 2011. The contract has finally run its course, Gilbert’s time in the NBA is likely done, and soon after the last of that confetti was swept away, Arenas put his mansion up for sale. According to his realtors , it can be yours for $3.5 million.
Via D.C. Sports Bog , Deadspin , SB Nation and Mouse on House you can now look at the mansion that once held so much promise. So much promise of shark and bikini but mostly shark grotto parties . Click the jump for a few pictures of the one-time palace:
Jul 132012
Royce Young of CBS Sports has reported that Jeremy Lin has officially signed an offer sheet with the Houston Rockets that will pay him $25 million over three years.
Though the deal was initially reported to be for four years, with the fourth being a player option, the Rockets have decided to instead pay Lin more during the third season.
Under the Gilbert Arenas provision, teams may not offer restricted free agents more money in the first year than the team can match. Thus, the contact will pay Lin around $5 million during each of the next two seasons and will jump to nearly $15 million in the third season of the deal.
Though the Knicks already have three players making over $15 million annually in Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler, owner James Dolan and general manager Glen Grunwald must match this offer to Lin.
Though the team will sign Jason Kidd to a three-year, $9 million contract, Kidd is no longer capable of being a starting point guard in this league due to his lack of athleticism and diminishing jump shot. Kidd is 39 years old and will be 42 when his contract expires.
Lin is New York’s point guard of the future due to his ability to penetrate defenses and run the pick-and-roll efficiently.
If coach Mike Woodson can reduce the amount of isolation plays that he runs for Carmelo Anthony, the team can move the ball around and will be one of the best teams in the conference. Lin still struggles with defense and managing his turnovers, but having Chandler, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, behind him to help him on that end and being mentored by Kidd, one of the greatest point guards to ever play the game, will surely help him.
Lin also drives up merchandise sales, as he is one of the most popular players around the league, playing in the NBA‘s biggest market.
The young point guard is very effective at finding Chandler and Stoudemire and can help both elongate their careers and can also drive to the rim on his own. Re-signing Lin is a must for the Knicks if they want to win a championship.
Read more New York Knicks news on BleacherReport.com
Jul 132012
The most popular names are starting to fly off the 2012 NBA free-agent list, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still intriguing players who can help teams.
In a similar fashion, that means there are still players who are overrated and will inevitably be overpaid. This offseason has seen plenty of talented players get too much money, so I can’t even imagine how bad it will be for the overrated guys.
With that being said, here’s a look at available players who, if my pessimistic views hold true, will get a contract that is far too fat.
Kris Humphries, PF
It’s not that Humphries isn’t a good player, because he is. He is coming off a season in which he averaged 14 and 11, after all.
But Humphries is a prime candidate to be overpaid.
Humphries made $8 million in 2011-12, and considering he had a career year, it wouldn’t be surprising if his new contract was worth eight figures per year over three or four seasons. I doubt whether the 27-year-old Humphries is worth that much.
The former Minnesota star may be an elite rebounder, but he’s an inconsistent scorer and he doesn’t defend the rim very well for a player his size.
If he gets the three-year, $24 million that is being rumored, that is fine. Anything above that? I’m not so sure.
Raymond Felton, PG
With the lack of interest being shown towards Felton, I’m starting to think he’s rated just right.
Felton looked like a premiere breakout candidate in the NBA last year when he got to run Mike D’Antoni’s pick-and-roll defense. The former Tar Heel averaged 17.1 points and nine assists per game with New York.
But things have gone downhill ever since.
Felton was mediocre at the end of 2010-11 with Denver, and last year with Portland, the overweight point guard averaged just 11.4 points and 6.5 assists in 32 minutes per game. He shot an atrocious .407 percent from the field.
I’m not sure how much money Felton will get, but I’m pretty sure it will be too much.
Gilbert Arenas, PG
We are stretching now, but the number of available free agents is starting to dwindle. Some team will likely give Arenas a contract, thinking he can come off the bench for eight to 10 minutes per game.
But at this point, I’m skeptical of him even providing that.
The Grizzlies essentially lost all trust in Arenas last year, and in the playoffs they weren’t even comfortable using him as a backup point guard.
Arenas is a shadow of his former self that could score whenever he wanted to, and at this point, I’m convinced the player who scored 4.2 points per game last year doesn’t belong in the NBA anymore.
Unfortunately, that probably won’t come to fruition. Someone out there will get desperate.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
Jul 122012
Tired of having the NBA Draft Lottery being the only thing of importance in the months of May and June for the Washington Wizards?
Sure, having a top draft pick is exciting, but Wizards fans want their team to be back into the playoffs.
When the Wizards were one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, back when they had Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler, basketball was relevant in Washington DC.
For the past couple seasons, the Wizards have been non-existent, but that will come to an end this year.
Heading into the 2012 season, here are five reasons why the Wizards will be in playoff contention and become relevant again.
Jul 112012
On your marks…get set…AMNESTY!
Teams around the NBA have until July 17 to scrub one contract each from their respective salary caps using the one-time amnesty clause in the new collective bargaining agreement.
Not all teams, though. Seven used theirs last year to excise the likes of Gilbert Arenas, Chauncey Billups, Baron Davis and Brandon Roy.
And while middling teams with ample cap room will have the first crack at those who fall through the cracks this time around, don’t be surprised if some of those who are let go fall off the waiver and into range for a capped-out contender or two, just as Agent Zero and B-Diddy did in 2011.
That’s assuming, of course, that so many teams actually decide to “amnesthetize” players this summer. These seven players—all either rumored to be cut loose or having already been so—would be good fits for championship hopefuls out there.