Report: Artest likely to remain with Kings next season

[kingzzzfan4ever]

Report: Artest likely to remain with Kings next season

ESPN.com news services

Updated: April 2, 2008, 10:56 AM ET

Ron Artest says it's likely he'll remain with the Sacramento Kings next season rather than opt out of his contract.

"Most likely we won't [opt out]," Artest, speaking for himself and agent Mark Stevens, said after Tuesday's win over the Houston Rockets, according to The Sacramento Bee.

"We're not really worried about the money or anything like that. We're just worried about playing ball. That's how I've been this whole season, just worried about playing ball and we'll see what happens," Artest said, according to the report.

Artest has changed his mind on such matters before. But according to the report, he said his happiness in Sacramento outweighs the money he could make on the free agent market. Artest is due to make $7.4 million next season.

"There's a lot of teams that could use me out there that are [under the salary] cap and have got the money," he said, according to the Bee. "The issue's not the market, because there's only a few players as good as me that [will be] free agents out there anyway.

"I just like [the Kings]. I told my agent that. I said there's only a few people I'm wanting to play for," Artest said, according to the report. "And we're not going to expose those names, or those teams, but I just want to win."
Kings co-owner Joe Maloof said earlier this week that he would consider re-signing Artest if he doesn't opt out, the Bee reported.

"If he plays great this year and decides not to opt out and has another terrific year, then sure we're going to look at signing him," Maloof said, according to the newspaper. "Sure, absolutely. It's up to him, though, really. It's up to him. The ball's in his court. ... All the guys like him in the locker room. He brings such an intensity to the game. It's up to him."


Another article about Artest possibly staying with the Kings and he keeps talking about staying with the Kings. He has definitely proven his worth to the Maloofs with his play along Martin. Both of those players are scoring well when they play together. I say, stay with the Kings Artest and I hope the Maloofs resign him if he has a great year again.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3325260

 

[KingsFan93]

Good for Ron and the Kings!

 

[tyrant]

i smell a trade coming

 

[Rug King]

It's been nice knowing you Ron.

 

[creAtivetfh]

Thanks for all of your effort Ron. Good luck next season

 

[Vlade4GM]

Boooo!!!!

 

[Arkitect]

"There's a lot of teams that could use me out there that are [under the salary] cap and have got the money," he said, according to the Bee. "The issue's not the market, because there's only a few players as good as me that [will be] free agents out there anyway.

I think the reason Ron is going to stay is that this just isn't true. Any team that would want him would have to be teams ready to contend, which generally means they don't have cap room. Rebuilding teams don't want him because he is crazy. It is entirely possible that if Ron ended up opting out, he would actually end up getting paid less money. His agent might have tested the waters and found out that it makes financial sense for Ron to stay in his contract. If he does opt in, here is to another guaranteed expiring contract! Now do something with it Petrie.

 

[Fear the Putin]

I am Ms. Cleo

Next week he'll want to go to the Knicks...

 

[VF21]

Okay, this isn't a new story. It's simply a rehash of one the Bee posted a few days ago.

"If he plays great this year and decides not to opt out and has another terrific year, then sure we're going to look at signing him," Maloof said, according to the newspaper. "Sure, absolutely. It's up to him, though, really. It's up to him. The ball's in his court. ... "

Not to burst anyone's balloon, but looking at something is no indication you'll actually do it.

This is pure doublespeak at it's very best.

 

[upinsmoke]

Great news i read that in the morning, just made my day.

 

[Brinzotti]

really?

how many more times is he going to change his mind before the end of the current season? But if he does stay, then I'm a happy person

 

[VF21]

Before the end of the season? He could have changed his mind again by now... Nothing matters except what it says on the piece of paper he signs and files with the league on or before June 30.

 

[tyrant]

how many more times is he going to change his mind before the end of the current season? But if he does stay, then I'm a happy person

he'll opt out. trust me

 

[Jechtsphere]

Hope people don't forget he changes his mind by the minute lol

 

[BMiller52]

he'll opt out. trust me

Wait I thought you "smelled a trade coming"? He can't be traded if he opts out

 

[Jerryaki]

Thanks for all of your effort Ron. Good luck next season

love the ambiguity of this post!

 

[sidney]

Wait I thought you "smelled a trade coming"? He can't be traded if he opts out

sign and trade down?

 

[ParniValjak]

He is opting out! Its a sure thing!

 

[bloom]

Ron has been pretty clear since the trade deadline that he would like to stay here, he hasn’t changed his mind since then…I think he’s planning on staying here and not-opting out this summer. But with Ron I guess anything is possible.

As far as the Maloofs thinking about signing him; I think they’ve learned to trust Geoff and his choices. Even if they want to sign Ron, they’re more likely to listen to what our GM has to say. And I don’t think Geoff is going to keep Ron for the future.

 

[SacTownKid]

He's not going to opt out. No way, he saw how many takers there were at the deadline and it didn't amount to very many so he know's no team under the cap is going to pay him if the contenders wouldn't trade for him at a bargain price.

 

[VF21]

^^Mark Stevens may know it, but I really don't think Artest has that good a view of the big picture...

 

[upinsmoke]

^^Mark Stevens may know it, but I really don't think Artest has that good a view of the big picture...

Please explain to everyone what "the big picture" is.

 

[VF21]

Please explain to everyone what "the big picture" is.

When you read a comment like this, I think it's fairly obvious what I was referring to:

"There's a lot of teams that could use me out there that are [under the salary] cap and have got the money," he said, according to the Bee. "The issue's not the market, because there's only a few players as good as me that [will be] free agents out there anyway.

But, I'll elaborate:

1. There aren't a lot of teams under the salary cap.
2. The issue is almost always, at least in part, the free agency market vs. the security of what he's already guaranteed.
3. Artest's fair market value is always going to be impacted by what's happened in the past, whether you agree with it being considered or not.
4. ANY premiere athlete believes his market value and demand are high. (Even some not-so-premiere athletes - read Bonzi Wells - fall victim to the puffery their agents whisper in their ears.)
5. Artest might make the right decision for himself but for the wrong reasons. Or he may make the wrong decision but have it end up well.

The "big picture" in Ron's case is like the full-scale map of the US that Stephen Wright refers to. You know what's on it but it's awfully hard to actually see very much of it.

 

[upinsmoke]

Well we can sum it up like this. No matter if we support Ron or not its all speculation until opening day next year.

 

[VF21]

Um, no. It's speculation until June 30. That's the deadline for him to notify the league on whether or not he will exercise his option.

 

[upinsmoke]

Um, no. It's speculation until June 30. That's the deadline for him to notify the league on whether or not he will exercise his option.

Thats not to say the Kings might still trade him after that date. But why trade the best player on the team right.

 

[VF21]

Thats not to say the Kings might still trade him after that date. But why trade the best player on the team right.

I'm presuming your last sentence is hypothetical and you're not really looking for an answer.

If you are looking for an answer to the "why trade the best player on the team" then you'll have to ask someone else.

 

[Bricklayer]

But why trade the best player on the team right.

Simple enough: when the team wins 33-35 games a year, your best player is not even an All-Star, and other teams consider Linas Kleiza to be too big a sacrifice to get him, there are, to say the least, a few questions about the value of said best player.

What's Jerry's thing about "every team has a leading scorer"? Well, every team has a best player too. Doesn't mean that that is a good development.

 

[bench_blob]

Simple enough: when the team wins 33-35 games a year, your best player is not even an All-Star, and other teams consider Linas Kleiza to be too big a sacrifice to get him, there are, to say the least, a few questions about the value of said best player.

What's Jerry's thing about "every team has a leading scorer"? Well, every team has a best player too. Doesn't mean that that is a good development.

It should be added the Nuggets made a terrible decision in not trading Kleiza and a 1st. Their defense is a joke. Artest would have catapulted Denver to the top of the West.

Curious how some on this board will relentlessly question Kings top managment, but other GMs around the league are all-knowing and beyond reproach. When is the last time the Nuggets made an appearance in the Western conference final, or seriously contended for anything?

 

[Arkitect]

It should be added the Nuggets made a terrible decision in not trading Kleiza and a 1st. Their defense is a joke. Artest would have catapulted Denver to the top of the West.

Curious how some on this board will relentlessly question Kings top managment, but other GMs around the league are all-knowing and beyond reproach. When is the last time the Nuggets made an appearance in the Western conference final, or seriously contended for anything?

I am just going to point out our defense is worse than Denver's, and we have Artest. I completely do not blame Denver for being unwilling to give up Kleiza for Artest. There is no guarantee that a) It would make them better, and b)That Artest would not completely lose it due to the lack of oxygen. His brain is fragile as it is.