Orlando Magic send final paycheck to Gilbert Arenas
By Bryan Rose
No, Gilbert Arenas didn’t play for the Orlando Magic last season. In fact, he hasn’t played for their organization since the 2010-11 season and only played 49 games at that. But that doesn’t mean the Magic have been free from paying the former NBA All-Star.
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As you’ll recall, Arenas was acquired by the Magic in exchange for Rashard Lewis and was eventually axed off the roster thanks to the one-time amnesty provision. That allowed the Magic to remove Arenas from the salary cap, however, the team still had to pay him through the entirety of his contract which concluded at the end of the 2013-14 season.
With the 2014-15 season set to officially begin on Monday, the Orlando Magic have finally paid off their debt to the former Arizona Wildcat talent.
The final portion of Arenas’ $22.35 million dollar salary for the past season (yes, you read that correctly) was sent out to the Instagram star which has to be a welcome feeling for both the Magic franchise and their fans considering the deal financially hamstrung them a bit.
After Arenas’ short stay with the Orlando Magic, he eventually made his way to the Memphis Grizzlies for a 17-game stretch before leaving the league. However, unlike his paycheck, Arenas apparently isn’t done as it’s been rumored that he wants to return to the league.
How much the 31-year-old has left, considering he hasn’t played in the NBA since 2011-12 remains to be seen or if any team would have interest in signing him given his eccentric personality and the potential distractions that he’s likely to bring.