NBA Rumors: Why Gilbert Arenas Can't Refuse Any Offer from Needy Teams

After being waived by the Orlando Magic, it seemed likely that former All-Star guard Gilbert Arenas would find a job fairly quickly. That hasn't happened, however, as he remains unsigned a couple weeks into the season. Because of that, Arenas needs to lower his demands.

According to Mark J. Miller of Yahoo! Sports, Arenas has a four-team wish list that includes the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Miami Heat and whichever team acquires center Dwight Howard should the Magic ultimately decide to trade him.

The Knicks are no longer a plausible option as they are set at point guard with Toney Douglas, Mike Bibby and Baron Davis. The Heat also seem unlikely as rookie Norris Cole has played very well, as has Mario Chalmers. That pretty much leaves only the Lakers or the team that trades for Howard.

I wouldn't be shocked if the Lakers called him as Derek Fisher has clearly declined and Steve Blake isn't exactly a good option either. You would think that if the Lakers wanted him, though, they would have signed him by now rather than letting him rot on the open market.

Failing that, however, I think Arenas needs to have a more open mind. The fact of the matter is it isn't the same player who was dropping three-pointers and averaging 25 points per game with the Washington Wizards. The real Arenas is a player with failing knees who shot well below 40 percent from the field and less than 30 percent from behind the arc last year.

If he thinks that he can be a major contributor to a contending team then I'm afraid that he's sorely mistaken. Perhaps he could be used sparingly as a bench player for the Lakers, but the problem is that he has a lot of baggage and a me-first attitude that likely wouldn't mesh well.

I'm not saying that it will happen, but if some fringe contender that isn't on Arenas' list calls him, then Agent Zero should most definitely listen. At 29 years of age Arenas isn't necessarily old from a basketball standpoint, but with his chronic injuries he probably doesn't have a ton of time left in the NBA.

Arenas needs to realize that and ditch any illusions that he might still be an All-Star-caliber player. He's nothing more than a deteriorating veteran with a name, so he should consider himself lucky if any team, even the Charlotte Bobcats, entertains the thought of signing him.

I understand that at his age, the main goal for Arenas is likely to win an elusive NBA Championship. You can't really blame him for that, but beggars can't be choosers as the old saying goes.

If Arenas wants to continue being picky, then he can sit on his couch all season long. If he wants to get realistic, however, and listen to teams that might actually have interest in him, then he might be able to resume his NBA career.