NBA Team Owners Proposing ‘Gilbert Arenas Clause’?


We’ve heard talk of a so-called Carmelo Anthony Rule, and now, we hear that team owners would like a Gilbert Arenas clause for bad contracts in the new CBA. From the NY Daily News: “Coming off a career-worst season in which he averaged only eight points in 22 minutes per game, and looked as if he was on his last legs, the one-time All-Star guard still has three years at $62.4 million remaining on his deal. So it was not surprising that when an amnesty clause was discussed between owners and players – a salary-cap lifeline for teams looking to shed a terrible contract – Arenas was viewed as the poster child for such a provision. Although he still doesn’t turn 30 until this coming January, who would want to pay him in excess of $19 million this coming season, almost $21 million next season and $22 million for 2013-14? Probably not his own team, for starters. In these negotiations, which have broken down indefinitely over the money split, Arenas has taken the place of Allan Houston, whose name was linked to a similar clause in the previous collective bargaining agreement. Once suspended 50 games for his illegal and reckless use of guns with Javaris Crittenton, Arenas has replaced Houston as the face of bad contracts.”