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QUESTION: Did it ever dawn on you last June or the year before when you were here that you might want to someday play for the Magic?

GILBERT ARENAS: ``I used to complain to Otis when I was a free agent and the last six or seven years since he’s been here to, `Come and get me.’ Because this was my favorite team growing up. I was a Penny Hardaway fan. That’s going by my number, No. 1.’’

http://www.nba.com/magic/news/denton_ar ... 21810.html

Reading this entire Q&A session it seems like GA and Otis Smith had been in constant contact for the past couple of seasons. I know Smith is a father figure to Arenas and what not, but one can't help to wonder what they talked about when they weren't discussing family and the weather...


Also, it seems like GIlbert made some comments bashing the Wizards organization- or maybe Flip Saunders/EG. I Don't blame him on that part though.

QUESTION: Did you see you see a trade happening eventually in Washington?

GILBERT ARENAS: ``I sensed something when I was coming off the bench. The excuse was that they needed scoring off the bench. My questions was, `Where’s the scoring from the starting five?’ I figured they were probably shipping me out because I was playing well and some people would probably have some interest in me.’’

I don't particularly remember him playing that well though. I got a sense Gilbert is leaving with a bad taste in his mouth after reading this interview.

http://www.nba.com/magic/news/denton_ar ... 21810.html

The Fax wrote: I got a sense Gilbert is leaving with a bad taste in his mouth after reading this interview.

http://www.nba.com/magic/news/denton_ar ... 21810.html

Oh, I'm sure that Gil's leaving with a bad taste in his mouth...and that "bad taste" goes by the name of Ernie Grunfeld.

I don't think tampering is the right word. I don't see anything wrong with what Smith did.

Otis isn't that kind of a guy. He's all business and very silent on what he is thinking and doing. He goes by the book. That said, he is also very close with his players. He and Gil connected back in Golden State and it continued on through his Washington years all the way up to now, and will continue.

They've talked on the phone through out the years. Otis has been his father figure, his mentor, his backbone, his mental guide. Believe it or not, when Gil needed assistance, he called Orlando.

When Carter was traded here, he maybe was going home, to his home state and his home team, but this might be more of a "homecoming" than Vince. Gil is actually going to play for a person he trusts, respects and listens to. You could see it in the Orlando Sentinel video that he was giddy about the trade. Really happy. Now he won't have to make the call, just walk up the stairs and have a face to face talk with Otis.

So all in all, as a life-long Magic fan, I hope it works out for Gil.

Possible tampering but I think you shuold rather be thankful for Smith taking Arenas off your hands. You guys get a shorter contract, John Wall era OFFICIALLY begins and the fact that he was there when Arenas was having trouble during his days in GSW and Was.

Meh...don't care. Moving along.

Ruzious wrote:I don't think tampering is the right word. I don't see anything wrong with what Smith did.

I've just never heard of NBA players talking to GM's from other teams on a regular basis...there's sure to be conversations regarding future employment. This could be a real issue, who knows, maybe Smith was telling Arenas to avoid injury so a deal could go through all the while. This just sounds really abnormal to me.

JWizmentality wrote:Meh...don't care. Moving along.

You wouldn't care if we could squeeze out a 1st rounder or other form of compensation from Orlando?

The Fax wrote:You wouldn't care if we could squeeze out a 1st rounder or other form of compensation from Orlando?

That's not happening, so I agree with Jwiz on this.

Move along now.

The Fax wrote:You wouldn't care if we could squeeze out a 1st rounder or other form of compensation from Orlando?

Not at the cost of ruining our image league wide. Teams wouldn't want to deal with us if we start pulling petty moves like this. Plus we facilitated the trade... I'd understand if it was a FA acquisition but we agreed to send him there.

Considering no other team wanted Arenas, it's not really a big deal to me.

^ true, Yeezy; it doesn't matter to me either. I suppose a rival contender could complain that ORL was able to get more favorable terms on the deal based on Gil's relationship/communication with Smith, but that's pretty flimsy. I don't see BOS/LAL/MIA pulling a Dan Gilbert and filing a grievance.

I guess we should be happy that Orlando took Arenas off our hands, but it's not like they did us any favors in what we got in return. Rashard Lewis is pretty much dead space on this team, he's either going to get a bunch of playing time and hinder our younger players development, or sit on the bench making 20mil a year. Knowing Flip Saunders, I wouldn't expect him to be benched.

This deal really didn't do us much in terms of favors, and I'm pretty surprised that none of you care enough to even explore the possibility that Arenas was dogging it because Smith had been whispering in his ear about playing for Orlando. Even if that wasn't the case, I would at least like the Wizards to look into privately.I don't think you all are looking at the big picture, think about 3 years from now when John Wall will be approaching free agency, you guys are basically telling me it's cool if he talks to other GM's on a regular basis? So I guess you all would be cool with him signing with another team too, right? It's just not professional and I find it bizarre. Tampering charges happen fairly frequently in the NFL, you don't lose anything from digging up some dirt.