Arenas Goes on Open Market

The Los Angeles Clippers could target Arenas, who is from the Los Angeles area, but they just drafted a scoring guard in Eric Gordon and would have money to make a big offer to Arenas only if Corey Maggette and Elton Brand choose to opt out of the final seasons of their contracts.

The wild card in negotiations between the Wizards and their star player could be Arenas himself. His unpredictable nature could make negotiations especially interesting.

Arenas, who does not have an agent and is representing himself, has stated on several occasions that he would like to sign a maximum-level contract, though he has never explicitly demanded one. He's also stated in the past that he would be willing to take less if it helps the Wizards add key pieces that will move them closer to a championship.

In March, Arenas said he wanted to make sure Jamison was taken care of "first" and after the season, in a blog he wrote for http://www.nba.com, Arenas said he would not come back to the Wizards if the team did not retain Jamison.

When reached over the weekend, Arenas wouldn't reveal the exact amount he is looking to receive nor would he say whether he would accept an offer should Grunfeld make one tomorrow.

"Right now, I'm just sitting back waiting to see what is going to happen," Arenas said. "I have a number in mind, a number I feel I'm worth and we'll just have to see what they come with. I guess we'll find out" tomorrow.

And if the sides don't reach an agreement before he heads to China?

"Then it will have to wait until I get back," Arenas said.

Opinions on how much the Wizards should be willing to spend on Arenas vary among executives from other NBA teams.

One Eastern Conference executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he would not offer Arenas a maximum contract.

"Why would you max him out?" the executive said. "I think one of the biggest reasons you see teams go to the second round of the playoffs, then fall out of the playoffs, is because they max out players that are not max players. The reason you see some teams sustain themselves, at least in the conference finals or the Finals mix, is because they've maxed out the right players. I can't max him out. I don't want to be one of those teams that's one and out, two and out."

However, an executive who runs a Western Conference team, expressed a different opinion.

"I'm not saying you give Gilbert Arenas max money just to do it, but I do look at it this way: If there is a team that he's a max-type player for, it's the Wizards, as long as he comes back from the knee problems," said the executive, who also spoke on condition of anonymity. "He's one of those rare guys in this league who can score the basketball, he hits game-winning shots and he can put butts in the seats. What's the value in that? Another key is going to be how his contract impacts that franchise going forward. Will they still be able to sign Jamison? And, will they be able to make the moves going forward they need to make if they want to make that next step? It's an interesting situation."

Wizards Notes: The contracts of assistant coaches Mike O'Koren, Phil Hubbard and Wes Unseld Jr. expire tomorrow. Grunfeld said he plans to re-sign all three, who have been members of Coach Eddie Jordan's staff since he became coach prior to the 2003-04 season.

Assistants Randy Ayers and Dave Hopla, who joined the staff last season, remain under contract and will also be back. . . .

The team would like to have 2006 second-round pick Vladimir Veremeenko play in the Las Vegas summer league. The Wizards open summer league play July 14 against Portland. Veremeenko, a forward, has played in Russia the last two seasons and remains under contract to BC Khimki.

So far, the summer league roster is expected to consist of Veremeenko, 2008 first-round pick JaVale McGee, fourth-year forward Andray Blatche and last season's rookie trio of Nick Young, Dominic McGuire and Oleksiy Pecherov.

Staff writer Michael Lee contributed to this report.