Some more Ron Artest news
From Ken Berger's blog
http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/basketball/nba/blog/2007/08/ron_artest_in_nyc_update.html
Still, I believe there?s a 50-50 chance that Artest winds up getting traded to the Knicks ? if not this summer, then at trade deadline. It just makes too much sense. He?d be the perfect offensive/defensive combination at the 3, would go through a wall for Isiah, and as he stated Tuesday, he?d take the privilege of playing in New York very, very seriously. I think after all he?s been through, he could handle it. Sounds crazy to say about a guy who?s found the trouble he?s found over the years, but I get the impression he wants this to happen in the worst way.
Not just for basketball reasons, but for personal reasons. If you haven't seen the column I wrote in today's paper on Artest, here is is.
And maybe this is me being overly cynical, but all these glowing statements about Artest coming from Kings G.M. Geoff Petrie strike me as a guy talking up a player so he can get more back in a trade. For all his good works lately, Artest has baggage and has been a huge headache at times for the Kings. Petrie knows that Artest will be gone after next season anyway, so why not talk his value up now and try to get something for your trouble?
By the way, I think the same thing is going on with the canonization of Nate Robinson this summer.
But let?s not get too far ahead of ourselves. The fact that the interview with Artest happened in New York is not an indication that a trade is imminent. In fact, when Artest and I spoke on the phone later in the day, he?d already flown back to Cali.
I also spoke with Artest?s agent, Mark Stevens, on Tuesday. This is what he said: ?From what I know and understand, Ron is a King and he?s going to be a King. If anything different arrives, we?ll deal with it at that point.?
Here is what we know: Artest badly wants to play in New York, but has decided it?s not his place to request a trade. One thing he understands is loyalty, and he believes that Petrie and the Maloof brothers deserve his loyalty for sticking by him through some troubled times.
We know Isiah has two extra players on the roster and has accumulated some pieces that give him the flexibility to pull off several different types of trades. He has desirable young players to offer ? Lee, Balkman, Crawford, Randolph Morris, even N8 ? plus a variety of expiring contracts.
Now he waits for things to shake out ? not only with Artest, but also with Kobe. Time is on his side.
Will Artest show up at training camp, look around at a collection of talent that won 32 games last season, and lose all his enthusiasm and loyalty for Sac-Town?
Will Kobe show up at training camp, period?
Either one or both could be available in the coming months. Say what you want about Isiah, but he has the right combination of talent and garbage to be at the front of the line in either scenario.
