Ron Artest is a perfect fir for us for a few reasons
1) There is no team in the league that would say they would'nt want a defensive monster like him on their team, and there is no Knick fan that would state that we don't need a upgrade on our perimeter Defense to say the least
2) His salary comes off the books in two years anyways, if Ron is a disturbance to the team then we that will be his final staw for him in the NBA and we just don't re sighn him, all the more incentive to trade him for the expiring contracts.
3) Aside from is D he can hit the perimeter shot, is he as offensively gifted as say Lewis or Carter...no, but his well above average offensive game combined w/ his D makes him a much better acqusition than both of these players
4) we can get him for next to nothing... there is the scenerio of trading Morris, Nate and Jefferies ( not likely) for him. But again the expiring contracts w/ Balkman ( I hate to see him go but he is the most tradable) and a pick would be the best for the Knicks. Even though that trade can't happen to almost September, if I'm the Kings I'll wait, I mean what's the harm in doing so, plus all the other teams after him are from the West, Miami appears to have an interest in him, and I see that as the only obstacle for the Knicks as far as another team beating us out, but Artest and his agent could let teams know that Ron only wants to be in NY.
5) Lastly, the coach that he broke out under was none other than coach Isiah Thomas. Isiah didn't exactly have controll over Ron's behavior in Indiania, but I think Ron is older now, and has to be tired of the whole bad rep thing and being from New York I don't think he would like to embarass the Knicks like that ( atleast I hope). If we can take a chance on Zach why not Ron?
Look we all go back and fourth as to how much we like Zeke or hate him, but at the end of the day we're all Knicks fans and want to see this team a force again, and if we land Ron this summer then this it will make us a force again and will be the most productive Knick off season since we landed LJ, Houston, and Childs( shouldv'e been Hardaway).
6) ok one last point...we're finally redeemed from the 99 draft ! I mean as much as I love that Vince Carter's dunk in the Olympics in 00, I can't help but feel just as ashamed being the team that drafted him as the country he was playing for when the dunk happened. And Ron would make it all better for me