OT: Gilbert Arenas running a great scam

[UCFJayBird]

At first I thought you said Rashard Lewis, "Rashard Lewis killed someone?!"

greatest scam ever: Michael Jackson. Like Chris Rock said, "we like Michael so much we let the first kid slide." Of course, this was before Michael got away with it, again, lol. So actually, we like him so much we let it slide twice.

[Rccanes2311]

At first I thought you said Rashard Lewis, "Rashard Lewis killed someone?!"

greatest scam ever: Michael Jackson. Like Chris Rock said, "we like Michael so much we let the first kid slide." Of course, this was before Michael got away with it, again, lol. So actually, we like him so much we let it slide twice.

Haha so true. If Shard did kill someone that would easily be the craziest thing ever. The guy looks and acts like he couldn't kill a mouse let alone a person.

[lovehoops01]

Rashard didn't set the precedent.

Where have you guys been?

The Los Angeles Lakers signed Shaquille O'Neal to a $121 million contract IN 1995.

Alonzo Mourning was getting paid $112 million on his contract extension that same year.

Kevin Garnett made $125 million or $126 million on the contract he signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves after his rookie contract was up.

Jermaine O'Neal's current contract is well over $100 million.

I'm pretty sure Allan Houston was paid close to $110 million in his last contract.

Tracy McGrady's current deal with the Rockets is as much per year as these guys (more than a lot of them, including Lewis). It's just that, signing an extension instead of a new deal, he didn't get as many years on the extension.

Any guy who gets to his third contract in the league is eligible for over $100 million if someone will agree to pay him that.

The thing with Arenas and taking less on his contract is for the luxury tax. The Wizards want to try to re-sign Roger Mason Jr., too, and if that doesn't work, they want money for Butler when his contract is due to be renegotiated. Abe Pollin doesn't want to pay the luxury tax so might not have gone for those things if Arenas had taken the max. That's what he gave up the money for -- and he certainly didn't have to do that.

[maginno]

Magic fans complaining about other teams' high salary players?

[Rccanes2311]

Rashard didn't set the precedent.

Where have you guys been?

The Los Angeles Lakers signed Shaquille O'Neal to a $121 million contract IN 1995.

Alonzo Mourning was getting paid $112 million on his contract extension that same year.

Kevin Garnett made $125 million or $126 million on the contract he signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves after his rookie contract was up.

Jermaine O'Neal's current contract is well over $100 million.

I'm pretty sure Allan Houston was paid close to $110 million in his last contract.

Tracy McGrady's current deal with the Rockets is as much per year as these guys (more than a lot of them, including Lewis). It's just that, signing an extension instead of a new deal, he didn't get as many years on the extension.

Any guy who gets to his third contract in the league is eligible for over $100 million if someone will agree to pay him that.

The thing with Arenas and taking less on his contract is for the luxury tax. The Wizards want to try to re-sign Roger Mason Jr., too, and if that doesn't work, they want money for Butler when his contract is due to be renegotiated. Abe Pollin doesn't want to pay the luxury tax so might not have gone for those things if Arenas had taken the max. That's what he gave up the money for -- and he certainly didn't have to do that.

All the players you just named are better than Lewis except maybe Allan Houston. Both were given rediculously large contracts that didnt match their actual skill levels the rest of the guys on this list including JO because at one point he was playing at a very high level are pretty deserving the money.

[UCFJayBird]

Magic fans complaining about other teams' high salary players?

no one's complaining about him making that much money. We're just talking about how he's making it out to be how he helped his team, when he did no such thing.

[Wizardspride]

no one's complaining about him making that much money. We're just talking about how he's making it out to be how he helped his team, when he did no such thing.

I disagree....

[maginno]

no one's complaining about him making that much money. We're just talking about how he's making it out to be how he helped his team, when he did no such thing.

Of coure he did. If Rashard gives back a few million dollars i'm sure the guy that writes the paychecks would consider it a help. We'd still be over the cap but hey maybe we wouldn't bristle as much at paying a lousy $200,000 to buy a pick. Ya think?

To say the guy gave up millions of dollars for PR is just silly. This is Arenas. He is worth the money unlike Rashard. He doesn't need to worry about PR.

and the health thing is a poor argument as well. I'm sure he had to take or will take a physical. If he is as damaged as some of you think then they would be able to know it.

[spinedoc]

^ how so?

Kobe's Mr. Nice guy routine and Ray Lewis's Relgious God's Linebacker crap remember Ray Lewis killed a man, but wasn't convicted because he's got the money for good lawyers while his victims didn't. I'm a Ray Lewis fan and I think he's full of crap.

LOL, no he didn't. I watched that trial. He was guilty of being with the wrong people. Too many guys make it big and can't leave their thug friends behind.

[UCFJayBird]

no one's complaining about him making that much money. We're just talking about how he's making it out to be how he helped his team, when he did no such thing.

Of coure he did. If Rashard gives back a few million dollars i'm sure the guy that writes the paychecks would consider it a help. We'd still be over the cap but hey maybe we wouldn't bristle as much at paying a lousy $200,000 to buy a pick. Ya think?

To say the guy gave up millions of dollars for PR is just silly. This is Arenas. He is worth the money unlike Rashard. He doesn't need to worry about PR.

and the health thing is a poor argument as well. I'm sure he had to take or will take a physical. If he is as damaged as some of you think then they would be able to know it.

i'm sorry. maybe I should have clarified. He is making the case that he is giving up money so his team has more money to go out and get players. Which is not the case. Him giving up money in this instance does nothing to give his team more money to worth with to acquire new players.

[Wizardspride]

i'm sorry. maybe I should have clarified. He is making the case that he is giving up money so his team has more money to go out and get players. Which is not the case. Him giving up money in this instance does nothing to give his team more money to worth with to acquire new players.

If Gil had taken the max the Wiz would be about $3M under the luxury tax. Now they are about $5.3M or something under.

Gil's taking less wasn't so much about this upcoming season as it was about the future. In the next year or so the Wiz will have several expiring contracts which will(hopefully)allow them to make some moves.

[maginno]

Gil's taking less wasn't so much about this upcoming season as it was about the future. In the next year or so the Wiz will have several expiring contracts which will(hopefully)allow them to make some moves.

I'd take it. Stark contrast to Rashard's contract that is designed to eat the maximum out of our salary cap as possible. Again Magic fans are the last people that should get on Arenas.

[UCFJayBird]

i'm sorry. maybe I should have clarified. He is making the case that he is giving up money so his team has more money to go out and get players. Which is not the case. Him giving up money in this instance does nothing to give his team more money to worth with to acquire new players.

If Gil had taken the max the Wiz would be about $3M under the luxury tax. Now they are about $5.3M or something under.

Gil's taking less wasn't so much about this upcoming season as it was about the future. In the next year or so the Wiz will have several expiring contracts which will(hopefully)allow them to make some moves.

He's not helping the team by giving them more money to acquire players, he's helping management save money by not having to pay double dollars when they get into the luxury tax.

The Wizards don't have a single expiring contract next season worth anything. They have two contracts worth maybe 4 mil combined.

The following year (summer of 2010), they'll have 3 contracts worth about $20 mil come off the books. With Arenas, Jamison, Butler and two other players their salaries will be in the area of $45 mil with 10 roster spots to fill. Obviously they'll fill many of those with other players before then, so say they have 5 roster spots available. Those 5 taken will most likely be in the area of $10 mil, putting them at $55 mil.

Congratulations. The Wizards still only have the MLE and other exceptions.

But you know in 2011 if they're careful they'll have plenty of money.

I'm not saying he's not saving them money, that is in essence what taking less money is, lol. But he's not doing it to help the team acquire more players, now or in the next two years. Unless the team makes moves for expiring contracts now or unloads players on teams with cap space (which they could do).

As it stands right now, the Wizards don't have any additional funds to spend on players that they didn't already have.

That's my point. And again maginno reads into it wrong, thinks i'm getting on Arenas for getting a lot of money. I think Arenas should've taken the max. But that's besides the point. The point is he's walking around going, "look what a great guy I am! I turned down money so my team could afford more players!" when it's just not true. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if the Wizards told him they weren't willing to pay him that much, and they came up with this agreement to make Arenas look good and make it seem that Arenas is being a good guy when in reality, they just weren't willing to pay him that much and he didn't want to go back to Golden State for the max.

Rashard Lewis has nothing to do with this, but then again. i'd be foolish to think maginno could go a single post without complaining about his contract.

[Wizardspride]

i'm sorry. maybe I should have clarified. He is making the case that he is giving up money so his team has more money to go out and get players. Which is not the case. Him giving up money in this instance does nothing to give his team more money to worth with to acquire new players.

If Gil had taken the max the Wiz would be about $3M under the luxury tax. Now they are about $5.3M or something under.

Gil's taking less wasn't so much about this upcoming season as it was about the future. In the next year or so the Wiz will have several expiring contracts which will(hopefully)allow them to make some moves.

He's not helping the team by giving them more money to acquire players, he's helping management save money by not having to pay double dollars when they get into the luxury tax.

The Wizards don't have a single expiring contract next season worth anything. They have two contracts worth maybe 4 mil combined.

The following year (summer of 2010), they'll have 3 contracts worth about $20 mil come off the books. With Arenas, Jamison, Butler and two other players their salaries will be in the area of $45 mil with 10 roster spots to fill. Obviously they'll fill many of those with other players before then, so say they have 5 roster spots available. Those 5 taken will most likely be in the area of $10 mil, putting them at $55 mil.

Fine..Gil's comments bother you. We'll agree to disagree.

[maginno]

Rashard Lewis has nothing to do with this, but then again. i'd be foolish to think maginno could go a single post without complaining about his contract.

Rashard Lewis has everything to do with it. Its TOTALLY hypocritical for a Magic fan to go after Arenas for taking a pay cut for whatever his stated reason when we are paying the kind of dollars we are for talent that is very inferior to Arenas. Is there a scenario under which the Wizards will be able to dump salary and Arenas pay cut would help them get a player. OF course. so you have no point.

Sorry but if you want to float an argument that a player is running a scam expect to be scrutinized and have your logic taken apart if it is faulty (which obviously it is).