Golden State Warriors guard Gilbert Arenas yesterday signed a six-year, $64 million offer sheet with the Washington Wizards, likely landing the team its point guard of the future and, for the first time in years, a young prospect from another team with all-star potential.

"We've got a nice, young nucleus, and Gilbert is a promising, talented player who will be a big piece of that foundation," President of Basketball Operations Ernie Grunfeld said. "It's a new beginning here. I think it shows that Washington could be a destination for young players, that it could be a desirable place to be."

Because Arenas is a restricted free agent, Golden State has 15 days to match Washington's offer, which starts at $8.5 million this season and makes Arenas the Wizards' highest-paid player. The Warriors are $10 million over the $43.8 million salary cap and likely will not be able to clear the roughly $18.5 million in player contracts to retain him. Golden State General Manager Garry St. Jean told reporters during a conference call that the Warriors may concede Arena's rights in a couple of days, saying the procedure was only a "formality." The Warriors agreed to terms with San Antonio's Speedy Claxton yesterday, meaning they likely will give up attempts to keep Arenas well before the 15 days are up.

Arenas, who averaged 18.3 points and 6.3 assists last season, is not expected in Washington until the Warriors say they will not match the offer.

In the 21-year-old Arenas, the Wizards see a player who could be a cornerstone for years -- no Washington player is under contract for more than four more years -- and the solution to their most needy position. Other than second-round draft pick Steve Blake, Washington doesn't have a true point guard.

"He's going to fit in very well," Grunfeld said. "We're going to play up-tempo, and Gilbert loves to push the ball up the floor. It's going to be helpful for Jerry Stackhouse, who's also great in transition, who's a slasher. Gilbert will fit in very well with what [Coach] Eddie Jordan is trying to do."

To get Arenas, the Wizards had to outduel the Los Angeles Clippers, who offered Arenas a contract that had similar terms but was contingent on clearing cap space. The procedures to clear space, such as signing free agent swingman Lamar Odom to an affordable contract and not matching offer sheets signed by guards Andre Miller (Denver) and Corey Magette (Utah), could take days and were not guaranteed to happen. That uncertainty, along with Washington's aggressive recruiting of Arenas -- the Wizards had two meetings with him last week, one in his home town of Los Angeles, the other in Washington -- were the deciding factors.