It's finally over: <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indiana Pacers have agreed to trade Ron Artest to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Peja Stojakovic pending league approval, ESPN's Jim Gray has confirmed Tuesday. The deal closes a chapter in the Pacers' latest drama involving the volatile star forward. Ron Artest Small Forward Indiana Pacers Profile 2006 SEASON STATISTICS GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT% 16 19.4 4.9 2.2 45.992 61.157 Kings owners Gavin and Joe Maloof on ESPNEWS would not comment directly on ESPN's report that the Kings pending league approval will trade Peja Stojakovic to the Pacers for Ron Artest. Artest was a key component to a team that was expected to challenge for the Eastern Conference crown. He led the league in steals and was the Pacers' second-leading scorer at 19.4 points a game before being deactivated after publicly requesting a trade in early December. In five years with the Pacers, Artest was an All-Star once and was the NBA's defensive player of the year in 2003-04. Pacers GM Larry Bird said the Pacers had been interested in Corey Maggette of the Los Angeles Clippers, but there was "no question" that Maggette's sprained left foot affected the process. Maggette averaged 21.7 points in 13 games before getting injured in early December. The Pacers have lost four of their last five games, including Monday to the Atlanta Hawks, who have the NBA's worst record. </div> http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2304512
If true and is finalized, I am happy for both players. Peja needs a new start and a new coach. Artest will make the Kings a completely different team. We'll see how the pieces fall into place.
Ugh, the way Kobe's been playing, and now this... the Warriors are the worst team in the division now.
Pretty sad how Peja went from near MVP, 1st team All-NBA to overpaid also ran on sub .500 team. I think his teammates stopped looking for him and he got gun shy. I think he will be pretty good in Indiana if they just look for him and he become aggressive again. Artest in Sac? Well just another ill-fitting piece to their puzzle. SAR? I love the guy but he's not a big piece. He's hurt and lacks the explosion of before.
That's okay. Artest wouldn't have solved all of our problems anyway. Who knows? He might have created more. I definitely would have taken Artest if Indiana was willing to take bad contracts, but they'd be stupid to do so. Maloofs might have won yet again, but who knows if the Kings overall are better. Kings were loaded with all kinds of allstar talent, but they're doing worse than we are. I'm really hoping the Warriors can land some big guy. There's going to be a world of difference when they find a decent man in the middle or Ike makes the nba adjustment faster than anticipated. We're a donut team right now. Here's hoping for KG gets traded within his own conference to us. He may be more of a PF/SF, but the dude can play all 5 positions and board/defend like a maniac and dish the ball like a playmaker. But we ain't getting him though unless by some miracle. I've always like SAR as well. Shareef is a mighty fine offensive player, but he's a bit too Murphy like on defense. He just doesn't do the dirty work or show much hustle.
I wouldn't be surprised to see Peja averaging 22 or so again getting open looks from O'neal's double teams
I definitely think both teams made a good move. Peja gets a new start, plus he can decide if he wants to activate his player's option with a contender or move onto some place willing to give him a larger contract (the option is for 8+ million). Artest has already said he wants to play in New York. But he has 2 more years plus a player's option. Let's see if Sacramento has the same cooling effect on Artest like it did for a headcase named Webber. But I think Artest may be a bit more disturbed then CWebb. Artest and Wells may have some unsettled beef too. Here's an amusing link to Artests career timeline... http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2281289
The question I'd be asking the Warriors is now what do they do? I don't think they can resign Pietrus, it will push them into luxury tax land, something they really don't want to do considering that they'll need to deal with Biedrins the following year and Diogu the year after that. They need a defensive perimeter player, and Baron, Jason, and Mike are all offensive players. I think if Mullin can't move Pietrus and a big contract by the trade deadline or this summer, he's going to have to give Pietrus a one year tender offer and let him walk after that.
It may be best that he's not in Oakland, but it's for the worst that he ended up in the Pacific Division.
I have not posted for a few weeks because of Chiropractic College, but I gotta post something. First of all, I have been checking in every day to see if the Warriors made some move to improve our team. I saw this on ESPN earlier today before it was finalized and I was excited because it did not name a team. When I saw the official trade my heart sank. This team needs a kick in the rear. Its sad because we have gone from playoff bound hopeful to worst team in the pacific in less than a month. Mullin needs to do SOMETHING! Personally, I think we need Monty out of here. Next we need to trade Murphy for somebody, preferably a 4 or 5. We need to utilize Ike We need to let Baron run the team like we did last year I am so sick of this. If the Warriors do nothing this year and do not make the playoffs I am going to stop watching them. I am going to give up. I have not lived in the Bay Area for over 8 years and I will never live in the Bay Area again because of the cost of living. I might just have to resign myself to being a Dallas Maverick fan or something because Dallas will be the closest team for me while living here and when I end up in OKC after graduating.
Warrior fans I feel your pain. After watching the Lakers miss out on Baron last year, and now Artest this season, I'm anxious for a trade, not involving Kwame Brown type players. I think this trade might mean either the Warriors or Lakers miss the playoffs (possibly both) and another dead last finish in the Pacific Division. The Warriors are only 1-7 against the division, the Lakers are only 2-4. Amazingly enough, the Kings are 5-1 already, and they've already played the 'tough' part of their schedule. The second half schedule for the Kings is far easier and neither the Warriors or Lakers have created enough space between them and Sac. I guess the Lakers and Warriors are now on the clock to get a deal done.
warriors could still get artest.............sacremento rejected the offer.........artest dont wanna go
oh wow, yeah its true, on sportscenter they just said sacramento canceled the trade, hmm why doesnt artest want to be a king? i guess he doesnt want to come to the west? so i think warriors probably wont get him. =[
Wow, I don't know whether to say "I don't believe it" or "I should have seen this coming." You're right Shape, what GM is going to trade for this guy? I suppose if the price is low enough, some team will pull the trigger... My guess is that Walsh and co. are now all but forced to wait until the deadline to try and get some value for Artest. Either that or they'll be forced to accept whatever the Knicks want to throw their way as that seems to be the only team Artest is willing to go to.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting wtwalker77:</div><div class="quote_post">Wow, I don't know whether to say "I don't believe it" or "I should have seen this coming." You're right Shape, what GM is going to trade for this guy? I suppose if the price is low enough, some team will pull the trigger... My guess is that Walsh and co. are now all but forced to wait until the deadline to try and get some value for Artest. Either that or they'll be forced to accept whatever the Knicks want to throw their way as that seems to be the only team Artest is willing to go to.</div> I just don't see Larry Brown and Ron Artest co-existing.
