With John Wall entering the Capital City as arguably the most well known new resident not elected by the general populace, the Wizards one-time most celebrated player may soon be on his way out. In order for Washington to ship out Gilbert Arenas, they’d have to find a suitor both willing to deal with his questionable decision making, high priced contract and recent injury history. In other words, options are limited, but if Wizards’ brass believes there’s not enough space in their backcourt for a power struggle, or are worried about Agent Zero’s influence on the prized rookie, look for Arenas to be suiting up elsewhere or sitting at home come October. Looking around the league, two teams seem desperate enough to take a chance on the troubled superstar.
The New York Knicks have been building towards this summer for years now, mortgaging the past 3 seasons for a chance to sign one of the big name free agents scheduled to hit the market. And what did they walk away with? Amare Stoudamire. The Knicks are posturing as if it’s a big time upgrade, but it’s not like the Suns were legitimate title contenders last year, and they even had Nash to pair with Stoudamire. Factor in the loss of David Lee, a 20/10 guy, and you could say the Knicks actually took a step backwards. After all, Amare has never grabbed 10 boards per game, is an injury risk and borders on a defensive liability. The good news is the Knicks still have money, and if early indications say Carmelo won’t be available, Gilbert would at least provide entertainment for the loyal MSG crowd.Looking to avoid an immediate return to the cellar, the Cleveland Cavaliers are in dire straits following their betrayal by the “Chosen One.” With Dan Gilbert making no secret about his desire to show up the exiled King and keep the Cavs competitive, he could reach into his deep pockets to pay for instant offense in the form of 0. Looking at Cleveland’s roster, there are very few players with the potential to take over a game like Arenas can when healthy. At the very least, Arenas provides a big name and something to rally around, helping to prolong, if not evade, the franchise’s seemingly inevitable decline.
