ARTEST FOR PEJA: OFFICIALLY UNOFFICIALLY OFFICIAL

[Matthew]

When did he actually decline it? Re read what Donnie Walsh said;“As I have said before, until there is a deal completed, we do not have a deal. We do not have a deal and will not comment on any premature reports regarding a trade involving Ron Artest.”

It sounds like ESPN and other outlets made a false report, and are now claiming it was Artest who declined the deal instead of saying "we fucked up".

[kinokong]

who knows what that crazy motherfucker did... maybe he threatened to punch the maloofs if they traded for him

[Matthew]

Hahah if he did, Ron Artest is the baddest man in the NBA

[J@3]

Artest Summoned To Meet With Pacers Brass
24th January, 2006 - 10:19 pm
Chris Sheridan/ESPN - Ron Artest has been summoned to a Wednesday morning meeting by the Indiana Pacers , who want to hear from the player himself on whether he is standing in the way of a trade to the Sacramento Kings for Peja Stojakovic, ESPN.com learned Tuesday night.

Artest and his agent were expected to meet Wednesday morning in Indianapolis with team executives Larry Bird and Donnie Walsh with the hopes the trade can be revived.

The Pacers and Kings were close to a deal Tuesday, and Stojakovic stayed at the team hotel in Philadelphia when it appeared the trade would be finalized. But a source with inner knowledge of the day's events said a call from Artest's agent, Mark Stevens, to the Kings gave them second thoughts about pulling the trigger, and the deal was temporarily shelved.

"The way I was treated today, I was disappointed," Stojakovic told ESPN.com in Philadelphia. "I feel kind of disrespected with the way I found out. Thank God they have TVs here. I understand being traded, but this is situation is weird. I had already planned my flight back to Sacramento, and now everything is reversed.

"I guess this is just a business, but the way I was told and the way I found out, I feel I deserved better from [Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof]. Anybody can get traded in the NBA, but the way I found out, it was disrespectful. I deserve better after seven and a half years."

Stojakovic was expected to travel to New York with the Kings for their game Wednesday night against the Knicks, but there remained a possibility the trade would be revived in the morning. Artest told The Indianapolis Star there was a possibility something still could happen.

"There's no deal," Artest told the newspaper by telephone. "It's not that I don't want to play there ... I'm letting my agent handle things. He's taken over things." Artest told the Star he is not against a trade but would like to be involved in negotiations.

"I just want to meet with team officials of whichever team I'm headed to," he said in a story posted on the newspaper's Web site. "I want to play, but I'm following the rules I have to follow. If I have to sit out, I sit out the season."

The deal would have ended a lengthy standoff between the Pacers and Artest, who was banished from the team in December after requesting a trade and was suspended most of last season for his role in one of the worst brawls in U.S. sports history.

Before the deal apparently broke down, Kings players were already talking about the trade as if it was a done deal.

"Peja will be missed," Kings forward Corliss Williamson said. "He's been in Sacramento for a lot of years, but life goes on in the NBA.

"We'll welcome Ron Artest with open arms and hope he'll be able to help us. You always hear about the situations he's been in and all the hype. Maybe this is the change he needs, to come into our system and flourish." [READ]

Warriors Offering Dunleavy In Package For Artest
24th January, 2006 - 9:29 pm
Philadelphia Inquirer - Ron Artest's agent, Mark Stevens, told the Kings his client "had no desire" to play for Sacramento, that he would report but "not be happy."

There were other deals on the table but the Los Angeles Lakers refused to trade Lamar Odom for Artest and Austin Croshere, and the Pacers turned down a deal with the Clippers for Corey Maggette because Maggette's foot injury may be more severe than expected and backed out.

Also the Golden State Warriors were believed to have gotten involved as recently as today, offering a package of Mike Dunleavy Jr., Calbert Cheaney and another player for Artest. But Dunleavy, who signed a five-year, $45 million extension before the season, and has a contract that would complicate the deal. [READ]

[wargreymon54321]

stupid artest!!i keep on restarting dynasty because of him.....screw him!!

[Jugs]

screw you, Artest is the pwn

[Num33Baller]

Funny Peja didnt play tonight (unless he was injured).


Also I read somewhere that Peja was saying he would take less money to stay with Kings for rest of career.

He didn't play because he was in Indiana I believe.

He wasn't even in the arena.

I wish he would stay with the kings for the rest of his career. He and mike bibby are franchise players.

[those]

I wonder why Mr. Artest doesn't withdraw from his contract with the Pacers (sure, he'd loose a lot of money, but...) and resignes with a team he likes to.

So he doesn't have to accept the decision from his current "owners", and i'm sure a lot of teams (like NYK) would be interested in aquiring him.

He also could join a team with no salary cap space via veterans minimum for one year and could re-sign the next year with a real big contract.
I think a man with the heart, the will and the pighead of Mr. Artest would pass on the guaranteed money, for the sake of his future and his contentment.

He simple has to consider that he WILL make big money on SOME team!

[Fenix]

And I wonder how old are you. You cannot do that. If it was possible, then Lebron would just escape from his current rookie contract and sign for the max and guys like T-Mac would just leave their teams when the losing begins.

[those]

And I wonder how old are you. You cannot do that. If it was possible, then Lebron would just escape from his current rookie contract and sign for the max and guys like T-Mac would just leave their teams when the losing begins.

Sorry, it seems that i am not so familiar with the contracts of nba players. Why is it not possible? And a rookie contract may form an exception, so that may be a bad comparison...

[maes]

Well it's the owner's decision to buy out a contract usually, not sure about Ron's specifics. And even if Indiana wanted to buy Ron out, the max Ron could make is the mid level exception, $5M, and a lot of good teams have used or traded theirs already.

He won't get Larry Bird rights for 3 years, so he'd have to take 3 years at min salary before becoming eligible, and with his flakiness who knows if he'll be traded already by then. Once he gets traded he has to start those 3 years all over to get LB rights.

Whatever team he goes to, he'll probably complain that his princess tiara isn't shiny enough and demand another trade.

[those]

Thanks maes for the explanation!

You are definitely right, he should have kept his mouth shut and simply play basketball for the Pacers, because a) this team needs him b) he fits in well (skills-wise) and c) he could play for a national championship.

Actually, even Dennis Rodman wasn't that crazy (or should i say stupid), because he realized the chance in Chicago and took advantage of it.

Poor RonRon!

[Fenix]

I don't believe Rodman was really this crazy, and I mean pathologically crazy. He was just and attention whore.

[Its_asdf]

Ron Artest should be grateful that he will be given a second chance on a team that is willing to take a player with his history.

[Amphatoast]

its offical espn is reporting

[maes]

So is this trade on again? I can't keep up.

[Amphatoast]

yes and it has been approved by the league

[eastinglandboi]

i heard about this yesterday, i think really it would of been a good trade Peja just seems like an intresting player in Indiana and the Kings would have had D now, and Ron knows how to shoot the thing too when he wants

[dada]

What a soap phera

[Gameboy]

good move by the Pacers!!!!

Peja is now a Pacer!!!! yahoo!

[Fitzy]

the trade has been done hasnt i?

[NNpF]

NBA.com is reporting that it's a done deal.

http://www.nba.com/news/artest_peja_060124.html

[[L3]1101]

I don't know what to think of this anymore. Artest is worth more than Peja, talent wise. But i think in the long run, it'll pay off for the Pacers. Artest is just too unpredictable. I won't be surprised if in 5 years from now, no team will want him anymore. Reminds me of Isaiah Rider. Rider was talented, but his attitude got to him in the end.

[BIG GREEN]

I don't know what to think of this anymore.

Oh?..that's debatable cause ive never seen artest have an mvp calibur season like peja did a couple seasons ago.

[Buckley]

now the deal is officially unofficially official. wow...that took long enough...