SacBee: Agent: Artest expects to pass on free agency

[Revrag]

The Thursday trade deadline came and went with no noise relating to the Kings, who opted against trading Ron Artest after so many expected otherwise.

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[VF21]

I received this as a "breaking news" email with the following text:

Mark Stevens, the agent for the Sacramento Kings' Ron Artest, said his client may not exercise the early termination option in his contract and become a free agent at the end of the season.

Anybody surprised to see Artest has apparently changed his mind??

 

[uolj]

Nope... and I won't be surprised if it changes three more times before the season is over.

In the end, I will be surprised if he doesn't end up exercising the option to terminate the contract.

 

[Andriod_KiNg]

Lol much ? This is pretty funny.

 

[piksi]

at least he seams smart enough not tu pull a Bonzi

Would be good trade piece in the summer

 

[Glenn]

I received this as a "breaking news" email with the following text:



Anybody surprised to see Artest has apparently changed his mind??

After Bibby was traded, Artest said he was happy to stay in Sacramento. This latest is not a change from what he has already said.

I have said numerous times why opting out was financially foolish.

 

[VF21]

I don't think "financially foolish" would automatically disqualify it. Discussing leaving your team to pursue a rap career would also be considered "financially foolish"...

 

[Spike]

I don't think "financially foolish" would automatically disqualify it. Discussing leaving your team to pursue a rap career would also be considered "financially foolish"...

Not when Circuit City is always looking for employees...especially during the holiday season.

 

[fnordius]

The stuff about the Bibby trade making cap space for a rebuild around Artest -- from his agent, with a little reinforcement from Geoff and the Maloofs -- makes my skin crawl.

 

[NewArena]

I received this as a "breaking news" email with the following text:



Anybody surprised to see Artest has apparently changed his mind??

Artest didnt really change his mind though, if you look back he said he will do whatever his agent thinks is best and just do whatever mark wants. Not saying this is great or defending anything though.

 

[Arkitect]

Would anyone have the cap space to sign him to a bigger contract? And of those does anyone need him? That could be an important factor for Artest financially. Doesn't make sense for him to opt out if no one is going to pay him. Oh well hopefully he stays in and we can trade him for something. BTW does he have to decide on his player option before or after the draft?

 

[MassachusettsKingsFan]

better than signing him to a new deal.. maybe we can trade him next deadline..

 

[Jechtsphere]

If we did try and trade him again wouldn't we still get only the worst offers yet again?

 

[VF21]

Would anyone have the cap space to sign him to a bigger contract? And of those does anyone need him? That could be an important factor for Artest financially. Doesn't make sense for him to opt out if no one is going to pay him. Oh well hopefully he stays in and we can trade him for something. BTW does he have to decide on his player option before or after the draft?

He has to decide AFTER the draft but before the FA period begins. His deadline is June 30.

 

[GregR31]

I think he will sign an extension if he stays, not play out a final year. Cuz then he has to go through this whole trade thing again.

 

[VF21]

He cannot sign an extension. As of June 30, he has to either opt out or agree to stay with the team and play out his existing contract, which will expire in 2009.

 

[Entity]

Thank you Ron Artest please stay some ppl actually see your worth here. This is not your daddy's kings we are not the pass 10 times a posseion team anymore we are a Ron Artest in your face stop him if you can team. Take it or leave it.

 

[Jerryaki]

::loud rumblings::

that? was the sound of Indiana's population laughing.

 

[Warhawk]

I figured this would happen - there is just no team out there willing to devote big $$$ to him unless it is a S&T, and even that is a big gamble for him. Take the guaranteed $8 million, keep doing your thing, and look at next offseason wherever you happen to be at that time.

I think this makes him easier to trade - he is an expiring at the end of the year. No player option.

And someone could get him for a full year this summer.

All providing, of course, that he hasn't changed his mind already....

 

[Bricklayer]

Gotta love the timing. Ron is both a nut, and just toying with our sad selves anymore.

 

[nbrans]

This may actually be one of the best outcomes possible. We don't have to worry about the prospect of overpaying him or having to take back too many contracts in a S&T, and Ron is a for-real expiring contract this summer and next year. It takes away a lot of the uncertainty of this summer. He truly becomes a one year rental, vs. this past year when he was a one year rental that might become two or who knows really.

Frankly, this is not bad news. Assuming he and his agent don't change their minds. Odds of that? 95%

 

[nbrans]

To expand on this, with Artest at his player option salary, our payroll is around $62 million. The luxury tax is $69 million. This gives us plenty of room to sign Beno and still be under the tax, while still pursuing Artest trade options either in the offseason or approaching the next deadline.

It's a really good scenario. Something tells me Petrie probably knew this going into the trade deadline.

 

[hrdboild]

I've been an Artest supporter from day one, so I'm taking this as good news. I was only in favor of trading Ron when it appeared likely he would be signing elsewhere regardless. I like the duo of Ron and Kevin at the wing positions and I think it's really the best identity we have moving forward. We've got a lot of money coming off the cap in two years and a couple drafts between now and then to fill in some of the other question marks. But as it currently stands, I'm much more optimistic about the future of this team than I was two weeks ago.

 

[CruzDude]

I've been blowing in the wind saying he probably stays for awhile now. I'm happy if he does. Interesting now that Bibby is gone his agent is saying he will not opt out this year? Beno is much more a true PG and could well be a 10/10 type (pts/asts) which would play well into RonRon being the physical/take charge star and Kevin being the scoring star and Miller getting his occasional 20/10 and 20/20 and regular 15/12 (pts/rebs). The unknown is Shelden Williams: is he a diamond in the rough, a major player or a shot in the dark? I lean toward the former. Same for Hawes. Then next year the Kings regain the upper echelon of the West and once again bang with the Lakers for #1 in the west.

(I think Spurs, Mavs and Suns are on the downward slope, Lakers, Hornets and Jazz on the uptick and Kings, Blazers and Warriors looking to break in.)

 

[bloom]

I don’t know what to think about the Article, I’m overburned thinking about Ron. Anyway, someone (PhutureKings) posted this in the comment section. Interesting little comment.

“If we got rid of Mike just to make room to give Ron a huge extension, I will cease to be a Kings fan. I don't think I'm alone there.”

 

[kingsfan101]

To expand on this, with Artest at his player option salary, our payroll is around $62 million. The luxury tax is $69 million. This gives us plenty of room to sign Beno and still be under the tax, while still pursuing Artest trade options either in the offseason or approaching the next deadline.

It's a really good scenario. Something tells me Petrie probably knew this going into the trade deadline.

Agree. If he walks, we get nothing. Not even cap relief, since we would be over the cap anyway. It gives us one more shot to trade him, where his real expiring status shall make him less of a risk.

As I have mentioned a few times, West is not getting easier next year. 5 of the 6 teams above us (except Blazers) that either miss the PO or get bounced in the first round might look for help. One of them might look at Ron.

One risk is that if we get competitive next year, management might keep him around to make a PO push.