Can Wizards void Arenas' contract?
On Friday, when Gilbert Arenas plead guilty to felony charges of carrying a gun without a permit, the Bulls played his team, the Washington Wizards.
The Bulls' next game is against Golden State, the team that originally drafted Arenas with the No. 31 pick in 2001, just after the Bulls opted for Trenton Hassell.
Arenas was just starting to blossom into a star when the Wizards beat the Bulls in the 2005 playoffs, most memorably knocking down a jumper at the buzzer to win Game 5 at the United Center.
Back then, he was a fascinating story - abandoned by his mother, then raised by his aspiring actor father in Los Angeles. Arenas was friendly, funny and owned one of the quirkier personalities in the NBA.
At the same time, all those stories about his endless pranks and extended battles of anything-goes paintball with teammates seemed to sound an alarm. Despite being an established star and multimillionaire, Arenas could be very immature.
His attitude seemed to seep into the Wizards' team identity. They never won a playoff series after beating the Bulls. They refused to play much defense or master the details of becoming a consistent winning team. Meanwhile, the roster was filled with talented young players who never got better.
In a nutshell, the Wizards just didn't seem like they took basketball very seriously in the years since 2005.
Now Arenas figures to be in the center of a potentially landmark fight over whether the Wizards can void his contract, which still has four years and $80 million remaining after this season ends. Arenas is owed an incredible $22.3 million in 2013-14 alone.
Arenas admitted bringing several unloaded firearms into the Wizards locker room at the Verizon Center. His reasoning was he wanted to get them out of his house and away from his young children. Why his locker was a more sensible place for them instead of, say, a storage facility remains unanswered.
Based on several reports, it appears Arenas and teammate Javaris Crittendon argued on the team plane about a debt incurred during a card game. They talked about shooting each other and Arenas allegedly placed several guns on a chair in front of Crittendon's locker with a note: "pick one."
As punishment, NBA Commissioner David Stern picked indefinite suspension. Now people are wondering if this incident is enough to void his contract, something that rarely happens in pro sports.
This is a unique situation because NBA teams usually have to pay for their mistakes, since most every contract is guaranteed. Washington signed Arenas to a $111 million deal in 2008, which seemed like a bad idea after he'd played in just 13 games the previous season due to a knee injury. The following year, Arenas played in two games. This season, he was averaging 22.6 points, but the team was bad.
Awkward as it might be, the Wizards owe it to their fans to try to escape from this contract that could handcuff the franchise for years. With Arenas off the payroll, Washington would have cap room to spend this summer.
The questions are whether such a move would hold up in court, and if it didn't, how could Arenas ever return to play for the Wizards? No team will be jumping up to trade for that massive contract.
Charles Barkley argued on TNT the other night that what Arenas did is not a $90 million mistake. Well, a mistake is a mistake. If Earl Boykins did the same thing, it would be an $800,000 mistake. No one can accept such extreme compensation but decline the responsibility that goes with it.
However it turns out, this story is a reminder that even in the fantasy world of an NBA star, growing up is a requirement, not an option.
mmcgraw@dailyherald.com
<p class="factboxheadblack">Bulls game day</p> <p class="News">Bulls vs. Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena, 3 p.m.</p> <p class="News"><b>TV:</b> Channel 9</p> <p class="News"><b>Radio:</b> WMVP 1000-AM</p> <p class="News"><b>Update:</b> There's no telling who might play for the Warriors (11-27) today. They started Friday's game against Milwaukee with eight healthy players and finished with seven after forward Anthony Morrow left with a knee injury. He's expected to miss 2-4 weeks. To save space, let's just talk about who is healthy. Guards Monta Ellis (26.1 ppg) and Stephon Curry each played the entire 48 minutes against the Bucks. Chicago native Corey Maggette (19.7 ppg) is OK. Center Andris Biedrins missed the early part of the season but is playing now. Pretty much every other well-known player on this team is injured. The Bulls beat Golden State 96-91 in overtime at the UC on Dec. 11.</p> <p class="News"><b>Next:</b> Wednesday vs. Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center, 9:30 p.m.</p>