Before the Warriors had received the signed offer sheet confirming Gilbert Arenas' intention to leave them for Washington, they already had lined up a replacement.

On Tuesday, the Warriors agreed to contract terms with free-agent point guard Speedy Claxton, who last month helped the San Antonio Spurs win the NBA championship. Claxton is expected to sign a three-year deal worth $10 million today.

Claxton's acquisition only begins to fill the large void left by the popular Arenas, last season's Most Improved Player in the NBA, who on Tuesday signed an offer sheet with the Wizards for six years and more than $60 million.

The Warriors have said they won't match it, so instead they'll hand over the reins to Claxton, whose combination of quickness and desire intrigued several teams around the league, even though he averaged only 5.8 points and 2. 5 rebounds last season.

"You had a big, strong, powerful, quick and fast point guard that was explosive," Warriors general manager Garry St. Jean said of Arenas, a 6-foot-3, 200-pounder. "Now you're getting a diminutive one who's extremely quick, who really has a good assist-to-turnover ratio, who really flourishes in an open game."