Gilbert Arenas works out for Lakers
In a search to find some scoring for their floundering offense, Los Angeles Lakers officials attended a private workout for guard Gilbert Arenas on Sunday in Southern California, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.
Two sources familiar with the workout said Arenas moved well and made a positive impression, but there was no sense of how quickly – if at all – the Lakers would pursue signing him to a free-agent contract.
Besides Kupchak, Golden State Warriors consultant Jerry West attended the workout, too, sources told Yahoo! Sports.
West, who worked with Kupchak when he headed the Lakers' front office, hadn’t gone to the workout to evaluate Arenas for the Warriors, Golden State sources said. The Warriors have no use for Arenas, whom they drafted in 2001. West has been working as a consultant for the Warriors for the past year, and recently said he plans to become more involved in basketball decisions in the coming months.
"He was just watching," one league source said.
Arenas, 30, was let go by the Orlando Magic in the preseason under the league's amnesty provision. Traded to the Magic a year ago, Arenas made little impact in 49 games, averaging eight points. Arenas played a total of 70 games with the Washington Wizards and Magic last season, after playing sparingly over the previous three years because of injuries and a 50-game NBA suspension for bringing a gun into the locker room.
Still, Arenas’ immense scoring ability prior to his injuries and off-court issues still leaves some intrigued with his potential to be a productive player again.
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The Lakers' coaching staff didn’t attend the workout, but coach Mike Brown and star Kobe Bryant have been proponents of giving Arenas a chance to help the team. Los Angeles’ backcourt, including veterans Derek Fisher, Steve Blake and two rookies, has been a source of frustration and has had team officials investigating the market for potential additions.
Arenas recently underwent platelet-rich plasma therapy on his right knee in New York, a procedure like Bryant had done in Germany last summer. Other players have had the procedure in the past, including Tracy McGrady and most recently, Arenas’ good friend, New Jersey Nets' guard DeShawn Stevenson.
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