Looks good for Gil to return to DC

As you know, Gilbert Arenas intends to opt out of the last year of his contract [scheduled to pay him $12.8 million] in order to cash an even bigger check in free agency. Arenas wants a deal worth in excess of $100 million and he may well get it. However, Gil plans to wait until the last moment before filing for free agency because — well, because he could get hurt between now and June 20 and he’d like to have that $12.8 million waiting for him if the worst happens.
Gil has repeatedly said he will take less money in order to retain fellow Bullet and free agent Antawn Jamison. Of course, Gil says a lot of things so we’ll see about that. In the meantime, he’s playing it cautious with rehab on that bum knee of his.

“I’ll be full speed by October,” said Arenas, who along with Walt Bellamy is one of only two players in franchise history to score 2,000 points in each of three consecutive seasons. “I’m not going to do anything stupid this summer. I’m going to take my time and prepare for next season. I’m going to be smart about it this year. I’m going to have five or six months to get this thing strong again and ready to go again.”

Gil won’t be playing at Barry Farms this offseason — or pretty much anywhere else. He’ll be shooting jumpers, but avoiding games and he intends to adjust his diet accordingly to make up for the lack of vigorous exercise. What’s more, he will be out of the country, in China, until mid-July, so it won’t be easy for other NBA teams to reach him during free agent season.
All in all, I’d say it looks pretty close to a sure thing [or as close as you can get where Gil is concerned] that Agent Zero will be in DC next year. Same thing goes for Jamison. As for the team’s only other free agent, Roger Mason, he’s as good as gone. I’ll miss him, but Roger has earned a nice payday somewhere. He’s turned himself into a real pro with hard work and dedication. There just isn’t room for him on the Bullets roster.
Meanwhile, Post columnist Sally Jenkins considers both sides of the Gilbert Arenas coin, asking herself if the team wouldn’t be better off without him. Eventually, she concluds — correctly — that the Bullets would not be better off without Gil.