This seems to be a one site crusade from maybe the least reliable rumor site on the web. Less than two weeks until we know.
Given that his agent's fantasies aside, Ron is not going to get that mega payday unless we are even stupider than I think we are, you can make an argument that the smart move would be for him to opt out. As a MLE guy he could set himself up pretty on whichever contender/pretender decides to take a chance on him, and make all the idiotic playoff predictions he wants with a good chance of them actually happening.
Money wise, the smart move would be to not opt out. Play for the remaining 7 mill, and keep his bird rights intact. Wait and see if he gets traded some where, be on his best behavior for a few months and hope his new team gives him the extension. Worse comes to worse, he ends up taking a mid-level extension next summer collecting this years salary, and extending a new contract possibly for one extra year. An injury could change things.
While its not truly clearcut, moneywse that might be best...but really only in the fantasyland where Ron is in line for a massive payday. There is a very limited and shaky market for Ron Artest, and no market at all for him as a $13mil a year franchise cornerstone. That money is just not coming. And if its not, his reputation isn't going to get cured playing on a losing sqaud in Sacto. And if he gets traded, it could be anywhere (well, not really, but quite possibly a team desperate precisely because things are not working out). Now he opts out and MLEs his way onto a legit contending type team...helping that team to a deep run, let alone a title, COULD actually up his long term financial fortunes. And in the short run you are only losing $1-$2 mil ("only" being a relative term in NBA land).
RonRon isn't going anywhere. By giving him on-camera exposure at Monarchs games along with becoming a regular guest on the Carmichael Dave show, people have made it clear to Ron he's got a home here. He's not going to give that up. And he's not going to risk $2M now for some hypothetical contract in the future.
We can hypothesize about it all we like, but #93 will be on the court for the Kings for the 2008-2009 season.
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As an aside, why do people keep posting links to Hoopsworld? It is, far and away, the least reliable and most laughable "rumor site" around. Come on, folks. Why are we boosting their hits?
RonRon isn't going anywhere. By giving him on-camera exposure at Monarchs games along with becoming a regular guest on the Carmichael Dave show, people have made it clear to Ron he's got a home here. He's not going to give that up. And he's not going to risk $2M now for some hypothetical contract in the future.
We can hypothesize about it all we like, but #93 will be on the court for the Kings for the 2008-2009 season.
can someone please explain why letting artest go will not clear cap space?
I think the Maloofs aren't averse to spending up to the luxury tax threshold, if it helps them win.