Myself and four others weigh in on the topic over at the mothership:
David Thorpe, Scouts Inc.: Gilbert Arenas traded to Orlando. I had heard this might happen back in the fall and I just laughed it off. There was just no way anyone would acquire Arenas at almost any price. I don’t care if he was in his last contract year, he was just too far gone as a player and too funky as a personality. The Wizards crowed as much as they could about how much of a leader he was, which was code for: “Somebody please get this guy away from our future superstar!”
Apparently, Orlando did not employ the right code breakers. Yes, Rashard Lewis was wildly overpaid, but he was a guy who did not cause problems and his deal ran out before Arenas’ did. It is simply beyond belief that a team actually wanted a player with major injury concerns, major professionalism issues and rapidly dwindling skills, yet one with a huge fat contract in front of him. It’s too strange for Hollywood. Perhaps it would make a good plot for Stephen King.
