Wizards want Arenas, Jamison back

[RenegadeLonghorn]

WASHINGTON -- There is no use speculating whether Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison will return to the Washington Wizards next season. If the attitudes expressed Sunday are any indication, their futures with the team are a foregone conclusion.

"I think it will be the case," forward Caron Butler said. "I'm almost positive that it will be the case, that Gil and Antawn will be back in a Wizards uniform next year."

Butler's words were echoed repeatedly by his teammates. Even point guard Antonio Daniels, not one normally to wade into front office matters, said keeping Arenas and Jamison is "a must."

"Crucial is an understatement," Daniels said. "My job is to play, not to make those decisions, but it is a must. We want to make a run at something that we feel is so close."

Coach Eddie Jordan, while deferring to two of his bosses, sounded confident that next season's team will closely resemble this season's team.

"We've said it all along, from Mr. Pollin to Ernie to myself, that it's a priority to sign Gilbert and Antawn," Jordan said.

Owner Abe Pollin and team president Ernie Grunfeld will ultimately make the decisions on the two impending free agents who have been cornerstones in the franchise's renaissance over the last few years. The Wizards and the Detroit Pistons are the only two teams in the Eastern Conference to make the playoffs four years running.

But the last three years have had the same ending: a first-round series loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The reason to keep the gang all together is that neither Arenas nor Butler were fully healthy for the postseason last year or this year.

"Maybe one day," Jordan said, "we'll have everybody for a long stretch of time."

Jordan met with each player individually Sunday, two days after a Game 6 elimination at home against the Cavaliers. Grunfeld will also meet with the players over the next few days and plans to address the media afterward.
Jamison is an unrestricted free agent, while Arenas' status is muddled. He has said he will exercise an option to opt out of his contract so that he can increase his salary, but he's also said he's willing to accept less money if it helps the team afford to keep Jamison as well.

Neither Arenas nor Jamison spoke to reporters after meeting with Jordan, but Arenas told WJLA-TV before the meeting that he still plans to opt out and seek the biggest contract possible under the collective bargaining agreement -- unless he continues to have problems with his surgically repaired knee.

"If I'm 100 percent, then I'm going to ask for a max," Arenas told the station. "If I'm not, then it's negotiation time. If I know my knee's not going to be 100 percent, then I'm not going to sit there and say: 'I want the max.'"

But, later in the interview, Arenas again said he'd take less money if it guaranteed Jamison's return. The negotiations could be quite interesting: Arenas doesn't have an agent, and he said he has overseas trips planned for nearly all of July -- when the talks should be taking place.

ESPN Article

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

Arenas sounds really selfish imo.

[swill300]

Arenas will have a hard time trying to get max money unless he can prove 100% that his knee will be ok. If he decides to opt out, who would take him? I could think of a few teams that could use his skills (Arenas for Boris Diaw?), but would they really want to take a chance with his injury history?
As for Jamison, I think he will be on the decline shortly so he should definitely get as many year contract as possible. Could see him going to Miami next year, they could surely use him.