Ernie Grunfeld on Gilbert Arenas' future: "If he wants to play, this is the place he's going to play"

“If he wants to play, this is the place he’s going to play,” Grunfeld told assembled media at Verizon Center today, reiterating that Arenas has four years left on his contract. “He’s still one of the top players in the league. He averaged 23 points and seven assists. He’s under contract and he’s going to be with us.”

This means nothing. He only seems franker today because his lie hasn’t been revealed yet. This means as much as the “Jamison cornerstone” babble from last week. After he is fired he should work as a White House press secretary.

in my estimation this a poly for grunfeld to keep his job for when the new owner comes in. if i were gil i want to get as far away i can get from here and accept a buyout and try to resurecct my career somewhere else. grunfeld had no intenion of trying to bring back gil and he is just putting more and more dirt on this era in wizards basketball

He has no power to make a firm decision about Gilbert yet, so until then he’ll throw out boilerplate language in order to keep his options open. I wouldn’t expect to learn anything from an Ernie presser or quote, after all never have before. Which is one of the things I think the majority of us here are hoping will change under Leonsis.

Arenas will be back in a Wizards uniform..

- that contract — in this economy — not unless Arenas was averaging 50 pts a night — no one is buying that!!

- the Wizards are not getting out of the contract. No buy outs here!

- they are not voiding the contract. Someone told him – ain’t gonna happen…

- OR – perhaps Arenas knows where the bodies are buried….

Arenas still has the highest ppg avg & I think assists too for the Wizards.. & overall in the league — 9th in the league in assists, 10th in scoring – all after sitting out 2 seasons w/ a bad knee… Oh yeah, he is coming back –
JUST DO NOT BUILD A TEAM AROUND HIM

This has been so darn amusing, I thought I laughed a lot while at the game last night…

Can we find somebody in FA who can match Arenas’ production? NO

Can we draft somebody who can match Arenas’ production? NO

Can we trade for somebody who can match Arenas’ production? Not with his current contract (not to mention a buyout would probably put them back over their cap anyways). And I seriously doubt the players union will allow the Wiz to simply void the contract as if it dosen’t exist anymore.

Having said that, expect to see Agent Zero in a Wiz jersey next year.

If/when they do bring him back, they should make it a stipulation that he has to pass through a metal detector when entering the Verizon center.

Grunfeld’s talking point… the team got stale…..

watching the video now

Gil needs to believe that the organization is behind him if we want him to be successful. If the Wiz truly wanted to get rid of him, maybe an all-star season, next year, will fix his reputation and trade value. In the meanwhile, we will have someone to watch light up the scoreboards on a team that needs him to do just that.

Not with the impending CBA.

If the Wiz keep Arenas, then the NBA has more leverage to push for shorter, less guaranteed salaries. In fact, the Wizards will be a prime example. “Now Billy, how can we expect to run a family-oriented business when we are forced to pay $84 million to a man AFTER he gets convicted of a felony? Guaranteed contracts have to go.” – David Stern in summer 2011 if there is no void of Arenas’ contract.

As opposed to “Now David, you can’t tell me that guaranteed contracts are that big a problem. I mean, Washington just voided an $84 million contract. Why change a system that works?” – Billy Hunter, in summer 2011, if the Wiz do try and void Arenas’ contract.

I still have the same basketball related concerns about keeping Gil on the team as I did before Gungate. No sense in letting Gilbert dictate what we do with him. Trot him out and hope someone decides to trade for him. Next season is a lost cause anyways and he won’t be hurting anyone’s development unless we get Wall I’m assuming.

People keep on throwing out rumors about us resigning MM and what we are doing with Gilbert. Does that mean Leonsis already has some say? Are people just making that up? Does that mean Leonsis gave his blessings for these trades? For Mike Lee to report that we are gonna resign MM then that would mean the Pollins and Ted are currently working together(one has to not trade him, the other has to sign him). Does that mean they are planning on the sale not being completed by this summer?

but if Arenas ends up sticking around, they probably should trade Blatche, NY or maybe both. Even is Arenas matures and starts exhibiting more leadership, there’s too much history with those guys as the group of goof-offs.

Nobody says “fine” unless things are not fine.

if we are just going to say fuck it to next season and are stuck with gil we might as well try to bring him back into good graces. I mean he could tear the league up next year for all we know he plays best when he has a chip on his shoulder. Haha we should trade for larry hughes and pair him with arenas.

I’m now officially excited, enthused, and will buy season tickets again (for the five straight year) just to see Gilbert play next October.

this is the best news Ive heard coming out of the Wizards in the past several days.

we have a headcase PG who brought a gun to his workplace, coming off three years of rust, with the worst contract in the league. Worse yet, he is such a PR poison pill, it is unlikely we can trade him anywhere. Oh, and he might do time, which would mean more waiting around.

Yeah, I’m super enthused about Gil.

Ted Leonsis can / is the kind of man , stature aside that can bring Gilbert back into the fold regardless if EG is remains or not. I think however Gilbert feels about EG is irrelevent. Gilberts filthy rich, he can be a leader now and step up or be a whiner and place blame elsewhere. Damn. this team sunk when the silly smack talk started before that Clev. playoff series. You know, when Charles referred to the Wizards ( stevenson, gilbert ) as the dumbest team in NBA…..etc….regardless if you agree with what Barkley said . The big three and the Wizards have stunk since…damn, Thats what i fault EG for , keeping Stevenson and whoever else was talking smack , yet not backing it up with play on the court, scoreboard. Thats what is unappealing of having JHoward on the team now, etc….team killers. as in poison your team chemistry. What is great about Ted being the most likely owner. Is he understands that. You never hear Alex Ovechkin talking about winning an individual award in the middle of a season. Team first. I would love for Gilbert to come back and be a new attitude team guy, leader. With Ted , all things are up for the Wizards.