In what was hardly a surprising move to begin the 2011 NBA free agency period, the Orlando Magic have released Gilbert Arenas via the amnesty clause. Orlando must still pay Arenas for the final three years of his six-year, $111 million deal signed originally by the Wizards in 2008, but the Magic can now remove him from their salary cap.
It's the culmination of a rapid fall from stardom for Arenas. As recently as two years ago, Wizards fans were preparing for "The Takeover, Reloaded." Arenas was supposed to be healthy and ready to lead the Wizards to the promised land under new coach Flip Saunders. Instead, we all know what happened.
Even last year, the Magic figured he would be the X-factor that would propel them to a title run. Instead, Arenas struggled to fit in, tethered to the bench by Stan Van Gundy except for rare instances. Now, he's a predictable cap casualty, and it's an open question if anyone will want to sign him.
Oh well. There was always 2007.
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