Gilbert Arenas trade rumors: Gilbo says he is not seeking an early exit

After the Wizards concluded practice at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Gilbert Arenas grabbed a seat on a portable water cooler and put an ice pack on his left knee. He then called me over because he wanted to clarify his post-game comments after the Wizards' 97-94 win against Dallas in the preseason opener, lest there be any confusion about what he said or even intended to say.

Arenas created a bit of stir after John Wall's thrilling preseason debut when he said that his new role with the Wizards is to "teach John the ins and outs of the game, and eventually go on and move on." When asked what he meant when he said, "move on," Arenas replied, "This is the NBA. There's few players that stay in the same city, so right now the city is John's. I'm not here to fight anybody. I'm here to play alongside of him. He's Batman, I'm Robin. When I came in, Larry [Hughes] moved aside for me to become a star and I'm moving aside for him to become a star."

To some, Arenas's comments appeared to be a message that he was looking to be moved before his contract expires after the 2013-14 season. Arenas said he isn't looking to go anywhere, or seeking a trade; he is content serving as a mentor to Wall and the other young Wizards as one of the few veterans on the roster. He said he simply meant that he would move on when his deal ends, not before it.

"I've got four years left," Arenas said, "and that's it. That's all I was saying."

At the end of his current contract, Arenas will be 32 and the rest of the Wizards' young players -- such as Wall, JaVale McGee, Andray Blatche and possibly Yi Jianlian, if he re-signs next summer -- will be entering their respective primes. He said it's only natural for teams to move on and bring in younger players, but he enjoys being around this group.

Arenas said was merely stating the obvious: It is Wall's team now. He's a veteran role player around to show him the ropes and help him become a star. "I had my time," Arenas said.

He said he's at a point in his career that whenever he opens his mouth and leaves his words open to interpretation, people will always look for the negative spin. He said it's one of the reasons that he stopped blogging and making himself so accessible to the media.

I can concur with what ESPN.com's Marc Stein wrote today that the Wizards don't have any trades in the works, regarding Arenas. He has three years and $60 million left on his deal after this season, which would make him difficult to move anyway -- especially since Arenas has only played 47 games the past three seasons because of injuries and his 50-game suspension.

But he reiterated that he enjoys being around Wall and respects his game. Arenas said he feels a connection with Wall since the No. 1 overall pick is represented by Dan Fegan, Arenas's first agent in the NBA. He is perplexed by the opinions of those who believe that he and Wall won't work together.

"I haven't seen a situation where you have two good guards and it doesn't work out," Arenas said. "When you have good players, it works out."

He noted how he and Wall complement each other, since Arenas is a shooter who can help driving lanes open up for Wall, while Wall is a driver who can create open shots for him. After the win over Dallas, Arenas said he warned Wall about hitting the floor as much as he did, because of the toll it will eventually take on his body.

Wall said on Tuesday that he and Arenas have developed a good report. The two have been spotted regularly cracking jokes with each other.

Arenas said that even though he's nearly nine years older than Wall -- Arenas turns 29 in January -- he still believes that he can beat him in a foot race. Wall has yet to accept the challenge, but I told Arenas I thought the 20-year-old Wall would get him. Then I asked Arenas who had the quickest time in Coach Flip Saunders's conditioning drill. Arenas smiled -- yes, he smiled -- and tapped his finger on his chest.

He added that he wishes that more people focused more on how he and Wall will work, rather than the other way around. He blamed the overall negative tone of the new, 24-hour "social media" for contributing to people expecting situations to fail. He used the overwhelmingly negative perceptions surrounding the newly-formed all-star trio in Miami with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Arenas said he hopes that kind of talk will stop in Washington.

"We need people to root for us," Arenas said. "Don't go against us. Root for us!"