Arenas worse contract in the NBA?

[Scabs304]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/090212
I don't think he is the worst, but definitly if your going with for this season and trade value it would probally be the least likely someone would trade for. I don't think he'll end up going down as a one of the top 10 worst contracts in history, but it could be close if he doesn't come back as Agent Zero.

[yungal07]

Bill Simmons is a dork.

[Kanyewest]

It will go down as bad as the Grant Hill Contract if he never comes back. That being said, it's too early to be all doom and gloom about Gilbert Arenas's contract. It wouldn't surprise me if he was a top 10 player again.

[MJG]

I've got to say that if that's the position someone takes, it's not without merit. The guy is making near the the maximum salary, and hasn't done anything in two years. If he comes into next season still battling injuries, or can play but is a step too slow on every possession, then he's probably right up near the top.

Another way to look at it: even if Arenas returns as 100% the player we all know and love from a few years back, it's arguable that he's still somewhat overpaid with his current deal. If he'd gotten this contract two years ago, none of this injury business hanging overhead, a lot of people would still be busting our chops on it. So, throw in the fact that there is a real injury concern, and it's plenty understandable that someone would consider his contract the worst.

[JWizmentality]

Until Gil proves otherwise, yeah his contract stinks. But let's talk about how Twan is robbing this organization blind.

[newslowsad]

At least he's playing!

[JWizmentality]

At least he's playing!

On one end of the court!

[nate33]

I've got to say that if that's the position someone takes, it's not without merit. The guy is making near the the maximum salary, and hasn't done anything in two years. If he comes into next season still battling injuries, or can play but is a step too slow on every possession, then he's probably right up near the top.

Another way to look at it: even if Arenas returns as 100% the player we all know and love from a few years back, it's arguable that he's still somewhat overpaid with his current deal. If he'd gotten this contract two years ago, none of this injury business hanging overhead, a lot of people would still be busting our chops on it. So, throw in the fact that there is a real injury concern, and it's plenty understandable that someone would consider his contract the worst.

Yup. You can't really argue with the selection. Obviously, Bill Simmons is assuming that Arenas will not return as the top 15 player he was before the injury. If Arenas is anything less than that, then it's a bad contract - a LONG bad contract.

He blew it by omitting Rashard Lewis, though. Lewis is paid even more than Arenas, and he has no potential to be a first-option superstar. My other problem with Simmons is that he continues to sleep on Haywood. Haywood never makes his list of best contracts and he missed it again this year. I guess one can argue that Haywood's contract is no longer a huge asset since there is only one year left. He didn't mention John Salmons' contract either (though he did mention Mehmet Okur, who only has one year left).

[NbdyBeatsTheWiz]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/090212
I don't think he is the worst, but definitly if your going with for this season and trade value it would probally be the least likely someone would trade for. I don't think he'll end up going down as a one of the top 10 worst contracts in history, but it could be close if he doesn't come back as Agent Zero.

I could care less about his trade value, seeing as he's at the absolute bottom of the list of people we'd trade. Like KWest said, he still has potential to come back the same. And even if he comes back at 80% he'd still be as good as Rashard Lewis, who Nate correctly pointed out is making an absolute killing in Orlando.

[tkunit]

where do i get oen of those 10 shirts lol

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

When Gil opted out after an injury-plagued season in which he never demonstrated he had healed from 2 knee surgeries -- and the Wizards rewarded him with an initial offer of $127 Mil over six years, I said it was extremely foolish of the Wizards.

In typical fashion, most of the regular posters on this site criticized my stance.

I said NO WAY should they offer an injured player that kind of money. I said I thought it was very possible if not even likely Gil would be injured again and might never return to the player he was. I warned that I thought Gil might know his body is breaking down and he's trying to cash in now. I said I thought the Wizards might be better off letting Gil go to another team and not commit that much salary to an injured player. (Suggested signing Sessions as a FA and drafting Chalmers, who played defense and was a winner who I thought could start at PG from day one). I got flamed as a Gil hater for even suggesting this stuff this past offseason. I finally conceded that I wasn't mad at Gil for getting all he could get but that I thought the 50-year old plus guys (Jordan, Grunfeld, and Pollin) were foolish for giving him the deal they did.

What I recall vividly is how many of you said Gil had a minor procedure and that he would be back by December. How'd that turn out? What happened was Gil got his contract and then went and had another surgical procedure. I say the Wizards deserved as much! I saw that coming and so should they have.

Now, no matter what happens with Gil they paid him a lot to be injured this miserable Wizards season. As it stands, it's easily the worst contract in the NBA. I can only hope Gil returns at 90% or better and that the Wizards get Blake Griffin or some other winning combination of draft picks with traded vets. That way next year and the future can be brighter.

Barring that, this franchise is totally hosed and Grunfeld and company will be fired. The Wizards might be bad for a LOOONG time to come if Arenas isn't right.

[Ed Wood]

In typical fashion, most of the regular posters on this site criticized my stance.

You don't know when to stop CCJ, while you're wearing this city's badge and takings its wage you're going to do things my way and if you don't like it you can just turn in your gun and give yourself a nice vacation. I know you think Gilbert homers killed your partner, two days before retirement, but we need evidence to convict in this country and you're just a tough cop WHO GETS RESULTS!

Ug, sometimes I wonder whether we're trying a little too hard to embed ourselves in the NBA psyche with all of the silly "I'll silence the haters" and "I'm just a rebel and I'm going to take it to you message board lemmings" stuff. Doesn't it sound silly enough when some six foot six two hundred thirty pound superhero millionaire tries to act like the universe doubts their talent? Seriously, and CCJ is not even close to the top of my frequent offender list here so I'm using him as an example because he knows I like his posting and he'll forgive me, shut up already with the raging against the machine. (Just so it doesn't seem like I'm unhappy to have been called on my love for Arenas I was happy to keep him on the team but more than a little uneasy with the amount of money that required.)

Gil right now isn't earning his contract because he hasn't played since signing it. Let's see where we stand after that changes. Until then there really isn't any way to evaluate his contract meaningfully.

[Wizards2Lottery]

If Gil never returns to his old form, it will definitely go down as one of the worst contracts in NBA history.

If he comes back healthy and as good as he used to be, I could care less what he is making.

[forbes20]

Isn't most of the contracts for injured players covered by insurance? If so, wouldn't a terrible contract be one for a healthy player that the team has to pay the entire salary for many years while the player isn't producing to the value?

Say, on someone like Dampier, or Jefferies, or Ben Wallace, or Hughes (past 3 seasons), Jason Kidd,

[MJG]

Isn't most of the contracts for injured players covered by insurance? If so, wouldn't a terrible contract be one for a healthy player that the team has to pay the entire salary for many years while the player isn't producing to the value?

Say, on someone like Dampier, or Jefferies, or Ben Wallace, or Hughes (past 3 seasons), Jason Kidd,

I'll admit I don't really know how the whole insurance things works, but I'm pretty sure that injuries have to be of the career-threatening variety to get covered by it. Say if Arenas played a half dozen games next year, then had to sit out the year after that, I imagine insurance would come into play. But if he just hobbles around, misses half a year with nagging problems for the next few seasons, then we're still paying full price.

[dobrojim]

also don't know how the insurance thing works
(edit to add - we DO know it effs up your cap situation).

re his last surgery; it was minor. He's playing 2on2 now.
I just think they are being extremely conservative.
I think there are very good reasons for that.
$111M of them in one sense.

They (mgmt) are willing to take the heat now on the contract.
They know the season is lost as far as playoffs go. So there is no rush.
Just the opposite. Remember when SAN lost DRob for a year. Got
the BigFundamental the next year and won 4 rings. So far.

I don't know if that plan will work again. It'll take lady luck.
But with the exception of how the fans (esp planholders like me
and others on the board) are enjoying the product THIS year, it's
not a plan without merit. That said, I'm sure they would have preferred
Gil (and Haywood) was/were healthy THIS year and we were better now
and not relying on lady luck in May.

[sdg2001]

It will go down as bad as the Grant Hill Contract if he never comes back. That being said, it's too early to be all doom and gloom about Gilbert Arenas's contract. It wouldn't surprise me if he was a top 10 player again.

Let's be serious... Gil has been a top 5 scorer and a top 10 personality, but he's not a top 10 player, even if he's 100%:
Kobe
Lebron
D-Wade
Duncan
Yao
KG
CP3
Bosh
Dwight Howard
Amare
Dirk
Melo
Manu
Paul Pierce

You can probably add another 10 guys to the list. When Arenas didn't make the Olympic team it was a pretty clear indication of his talent level. He's a very good scorer and a fine person, but not a dominant player.

[Kanyewest]

It will go down as bad as the Grant Hill Contract if he never comes back. That being said, it's too early to be all doom and gloom about Gilbert Arenas's contract. It wouldn't surprise me if he was a top 10 player again.

Let's be serious... Gil has been a top 5 scorer and a top 10 personality, but he's not a top 10 player, even if he's 100%:
Kobe
Lebron
D-Wade
Duncan
Yao
KG
CP3
Bosh
Dwight Howard
Amare
Dirk
Melo
Manu
Paul Pierce

You can probably add another 10 guys to the list. When Arenas didn't make the Olympic team it was a pretty clear indication of his talent level. He's a very good scorer and a fine person, but not a dominant player.

Well he was a top 10 player when he was healthy; after all he did make the all NBA 2nd team (and could have made the all NBA 1st team if he finished the season healthy). Fine he'll be a top 15 player since guys like Dwight Howard and CP3 have gotten better while Dwayne Wade has returned back to 100%. If Arenas averaged 25 ppg, 6.5 apg, 4 rpg, and 2 spg, where would that put him on your list?

Arenas didn't make the Olympic team not because he wasn't more talented but because he didn't fit into Coach K's idea of what the team needed to do. Chris Paul was a better distributor and Hinrich was a better defender; same reason why AI wasn't even given an invite to tryout for the team. Ironically, poor point guard play cost Team USA to lose their last game against Greece in 06 (they couldn't defend the pick and roll, a lot of bad turnovers, and couldn't hit open shots) and they probably could have used Arenas 3 point shooting anayways.

[lupin]

C'mon, the worst all-time contract was Lorenzo Williams's deal!

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Gilbert returns to practice, full-contact.
http://www.dcexaminer.com/sports/Return ... 96367.html
What happened Ivan? Scooped by the Examiner?

Let's hope he's totally pain-free and remains that way in practice. I would guess they'll wait a couple weeks, until March to activate Gil. At that time, hopefully they very gradually increase his minutes.

I've said a lot a bad things about his contract but I truly hope Arenas comes back near as good as he was. It's encouraging to see him practicing full-speed with the team.