From the NYTimes: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/26/sports/basketball/26kings.html
In High-Stakes Play, Kings Take ArtestBy JOHN ELIGON
Published: January 26, 2006
As the owners of the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Joe and Gavin Maloof are quick to admit that they do not shy away from risky ventures.
The Maloof brothers, who also own the Sacramento Kings, showed their affinity for high stakes yesterday by rolling the dice on a trade that sent the Indiana Pacers' volatile forward Ron Artest to Sacramento in exchange for forward Peja Stojakovic.
The move did not come without the drama typical of most things involving Artest. After a tentative agreement was reached Tuesday evening, rumors swirled that Artest said he did not want to go to Sacramento. So the Maloofs stalled the trade to talk to Artest yesterday and make sure he wanted to play for the Kings.
"We have a home in Vegas," Gavin Maloof said at Madison Square Garden yesterday before the Kings defeated the Knicks, 106-102, in overtime. "We're gamblers, so we're going to take a chance on him."
Though they said they could not be certain that Artest's erratic behavior would not resurface, the Maloofs apparently heard enough yesterday to be comfortable with jettisoning Stojakovic, the longest-tenured player on the Kings, for Artest, who has played only 23 games since the start of last season.
"We didn't know whether or not he wanted to come," Joe Maloof said. "We want somebody that wants to come to your organization, and that was our big question. That's why we wanted to talk to him for ourselves today. He said he wants to play and he wants to be in Sacramento. That's good enough for us."
In Artest, the Pacers are losing one of the best all-around players in the N.B.A. — and perhaps the league's best perimeter defender — but they are gaining perhaps its best shooter.
Stojakovic, a three-time All-Star, is scoring 16.5 points a game, down from a career-best 24.2 points in the 2003-4 season. He is a career 39.8 percent 3-point shooter.
"Obviously, we're very happy about getting a player of his caliber," the Pacers' president, Larry Bird, said in a statement posted on the team's Web site. "He's one of the best shooters in the league, and we definitely feel he can come in and help us right away."
For Stojakovic, it is a chance to leave the Kings, who are 18-24 and in last place in the Pacific Division, and return to a contender.
"We're thrilled," David Bauman, Stojakovic's agent, said in a telephone interview. "It's a new beginning. They're a playoff team."
Kings Coach Rick Adelman, whose first season as the Kings' coach was Stojakovic's rookie year, seemed less than ecstatic about the trade.
"We've been together since Day 1," Adelman said. "So when you trade a guy like that, that was tough."
Throughout the process, Adelman said, Stojakovic "seemed to become a footnote."
"And that really disturbed me," he said.
Asked if he felt the risk of trading for Artest was worth it, Adelman said: "I didn't do this. If you're going to ask that question, better ask the people who had made those decisions. I'm just going to coach the team."
Artest is set to make $6.8 million this season, and his contract runs through 2007-8, with a player option in 2008-9. Stojakovic's contract, worth around $7.5 million, expires at the end of this season, and he has an option for next season.
The Maloofs said they hoped Artest could join the team for tomorrow night's game against the Celtics in Boston. Bauman said he did not expect Stojakovic to play for the Pacers (21-20) until Tuesday's game in Washington.
Artest's departure ends the Pacers' six-week effort to deal Artest, who was benched in mid-December after demanding to be traded.
But Artest left the Pacers on a conciliatory note.
"It was a little bit emotional, just to think what you've been through with Donnie Walsh, who's such a personable person," Artest, referring to the Pacers' general manager, told Indianapolis television station WTHR. "He treats everybody like family. It was a tough day, but we both left on good terms, which is pretty cool."
Artest's history of fines and suspensions is something that the Maloofs and his new teammates seem willing to forget. What the Kings are concentrating on is his ability to score (he is averaging 19.4 points this season) and defend (2.63 steals and 4.9 rebounds). He is a one-time All-Star and a former defensive player of the year.
"He's a threat on both ends of the court," said Kings point guard Mike Bibby, who, with Stojakovic's departure, is the only King left from the 2001-2 team that made it to the Western Conference finals. "He plays good defense. Hopefully that'll rub off on everybody else."
Just going off Adelman's quotes in this article, he seems less than enthused over this transaction.
In High-Stakes Play, Kings Take ArtestBy JOHN ELIGON
Published: January 26, 2006
As the owners of the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Joe and Gavin Maloof are quick to admit that they do not shy away from risky ventures.
The Maloof brothers, who also own the Sacramento Kings, showed their affinity for high stakes yesterday by rolling the dice on a trade that sent the Indiana Pacers' volatile forward Ron Artest to Sacramento in exchange for forward Peja Stojakovic.
The move did not come without the drama typical of most things involving Artest. After a tentative agreement was reached Tuesday evening, rumors swirled that Artest said he did not want to go to Sacramento. So the Maloofs stalled the trade to talk to Artest yesterday and make sure he wanted to play for the Kings.
"We have a home in Vegas," Gavin Maloof said at Madison Square Garden yesterday before the Kings defeated the Knicks, 106-102, in overtime. "We're gamblers, so we're going to take a chance on him."
Though they said they could not be certain that Artest's erratic behavior would not resurface, the Maloofs apparently heard enough yesterday to be comfortable with jettisoning Stojakovic, the longest-tenured player on the Kings, for Artest, who has played only 23 games since the start of last season.
"We didn't know whether or not he wanted to come," Joe Maloof said. "We want somebody that wants to come to your organization, and that was our big question. That's why we wanted to talk to him for ourselves today. He said he wants to play and he wants to be in Sacramento. That's good enough for us."
In Artest, the Pacers are losing one of the best all-around players in the N.B.A. — and perhaps the league's best perimeter defender — but they are gaining perhaps its best shooter.
Stojakovic, a three-time All-Star, is scoring 16.5 points a game, down from a career-best 24.2 points in the 2003-4 season. He is a career 39.8 percent 3-point shooter.
"Obviously, we're very happy about getting a player of his caliber," the Pacers' president, Larry Bird, said in a statement posted on the team's Web site. "He's one of the best shooters in the league, and we definitely feel he can come in and help us right away."
For Stojakovic, it is a chance to leave the Kings, who are 18-24 and in last place in the Pacific Division, and return to a contender.
"We're thrilled," David Bauman, Stojakovic's agent, said in a telephone interview. "It's a new beginning. They're a playoff team."
Kings Coach Rick Adelman, whose first season as the Kings' coach was Stojakovic's rookie year, seemed less than ecstatic about the trade.
"We've been together since Day 1," Adelman said. "So when you trade a guy like that, that was tough."
Throughout the process, Adelman said, Stojakovic "seemed to become a footnote."
"And that really disturbed me," he said.
Asked if he felt the risk of trading for Artest was worth it, Adelman said: "I didn't do this. If you're going to ask that question, better ask the people who had made those decisions. I'm just going to coach the team."
Artest is set to make $6.8 million this season, and his contract runs through 2007-8, with a player option in 2008-9. Stojakovic's contract, worth around $7.5 million, expires at the end of this season, and he has an option for next season.
The Maloofs said they hoped Artest could join the team for tomorrow night's game against the Celtics in Boston. Bauman said he did not expect Stojakovic to play for the Pacers (21-20) until Tuesday's game in Washington.
Artest's departure ends the Pacers' six-week effort to deal Artest, who was benched in mid-December after demanding to be traded.
But Artest left the Pacers on a conciliatory note.
"It was a little bit emotional, just to think what you've been through with Donnie Walsh, who's such a personable person," Artest, referring to the Pacers' general manager, told Indianapolis television station WTHR. "He treats everybody like family. It was a tough day, but we both left on good terms, which is pretty cool."
Artest's history of fines and suspensions is something that the Maloofs and his new teammates seem willing to forget. What the Kings are concentrating on is his ability to score (he is averaging 19.4 points this season) and defend (2.63 steals and 4.9 rebounds). He is a one-time All-Star and a former defensive player of the year.
"He's a threat on both ends of the court," said Kings point guard Mike Bibby, who, with Stojakovic's departure, is the only King left from the 2001-2 team that made it to the Western Conference finals. "He plays good defense. Hopefully that'll rub off on everybody else."
Just going off Adelman's quotes in this article, he seems less than enthused over this transaction.
