Yahoo: All the Kings' men might no longer include Artest

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AlP5afLb4CJHSg6zEDPr36CB0bYF?slu...y-artes

All the Kings' men might no longer include Artest
By Johnny Ludden, Yahoo! Sports 13 hours, 39 minutes ago

LAS VEGAS – He still answers to Ron these days, even though he recently
told a Sacramento radio station he'd prefer to be called Bill. He's
still as affable off the court as he is ferocious on it, and, yes, he's
still a Sacramento King, enough so that he hopped a flight here from
New York to help cheer on the franchise's summer-league team.

For a change, though, Ron Artest isn't talking. At least he wasn't
saying anything of substance Saturday afternoon. No trade demands. No
complaining about the Kings not committing to him. No regrets about
not opting out of his contract. No...comment.

What are your thoughts on your future with the Kings ?

"No comment."

Do you want to have a future with the Kings ?

"No comment."

If you could be with any team next season who would it be ?

"No comment."

New York Mets cap pulled low, smile stretched across his face, Artest
sounded apologetic for not being more cooperative.

"Seriously, I don't know what my future is, " he said. "I don't know,
really, so I can't say anything."

Check back in 12 hours, or five minutes, for that matter. Ron-Ron
changes his mind by the tick-tock of the clock. He wants to be
traded. He wants to be a King for life. He's opting out of his
contract. No, he's not. Artest has many skills, decisiveness not
among them.

That's not a knock on Artest. It's a fact. He's said enough and he'll
probably say some more, but his opinion no longer matters. Eventually,
someone is going to call with the right offer and eventually the Kings
are going to trade him. Just like in Chicago and Indiana, Artest has
become more valuable for Sacramento to move than keep.

The Kings don't seem to be in a rush. Nor should they be. As
free-agency options dry up, more teams look to trades to strengthen
their roster. Even if the Kings have to wait until closer to the trade
deadline, some contender will likely be willing to roll the dice on
Artest. When healthy and motivated, he can dominate on both ends of the
floor. His contract is more than affordable ($7.4 million) and he'll
be a free agent at the end of the season, which has a few GMs thinking
he'll also try to fit in and behave, at least for a few months.

Already, the Los Angeles Lakers have inquired about Artest, according
to a report in The Sacramento Bee, and there might not be a more
logical destination. Exposed by the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals,
the Lakers need to get tougher and better defensively. Swapping Artest
for Lamar Odom, who wilted as much as any Laker during the Finals,
would be an upgrade in both areas.

Phil Jackson won three titles with Dennis Rodman, so he's accustomed to
dealing with non-conformists, as well as extraterrestrials, if one is
to believe Jackson's nickname for Vladimir Radmanovic: My Favorite
Martian. Artest, too, has been accused of being from another planet.
As for any ego concerns, not even Artest is bold enough to challenge
Kobe Bryant's authority in the locker room.

That's not to say Artest would be a perfect fit. At least one scout
thinks the Lakers would be foolish to give up Odom, saying his length
and versatility create too many matchup problems for opponents. Odom
is the better rebounder and passer, and though Artest certainly is a
more dependable three-point threat, he can be a ground-and-pound
ball-stopper on offense.

The Lakers also would be wise to wait as long as possible to see how
their young center, Andrew Bynum, recovers from knee surgery. If Bynum
continues to labor, the Lakers may very well need Odom's size next to
Pau Gasol. Still, Jackson and Bryant can be sure of one thing: Artest
isn't going to curl up in the fetal position just because Kevin Garnett
cursed at him.

The Kings also would want the Lakers to take on Kenny Thomas and his
contract's remaining two years and $17.3 million. But with the Lakers
also apparently hedging on matching Golden State's four-year, $17
million offer for Ronny Turiaf that might not be as big an issue as
previously thought. As the Bee's Sam Amick wrote, "It's the price of
doing business if they want to acquire the underpaid Artest."

There's an old rule in professional sports that if you're going to make
a trade, you better make one that doesn't help your rival. These days,
though, the Kings and Lakers aren't rivals, no matter how much bitter
history covers the 400 miles of I-5 interstate between them. The
Lakers are coming off an appearance in the NBA Finals; Sacramento won
38 games and figures to again have a tough time qualifying for the
playoffs, with or without Artest. The Kings have the potential to be
major players in the expansive 2010 free-agent market. Shedding
Thomas' contract (along with Odom's) could give them the option of
reloading a year sooner, if they desire.

And if the Kings choose not to deal with the Lakers ? They should have
at least a few more options. The Phoenix Suns had interest in Artest
at last season's trade deadline. The San Antonio Spurs also are
intrigued, but they don't have enough to offer to make a serious bid.

"I like his talent. I like his competitiveness. I like his contract,
" one GM said of Artest. "But there's always a risk with him."

Artest's erratic behavior has often overshadowed his talent, and it's
been no different with the Kings. He decided not to opt out of his
contract two weeks ago then emailed the Bee and ESPN.com to say he made
a mistake after watching Baron Davis and Elton Brand land lucrative
longterm deals. Artest claimed to have been misled to believe the
Kings considered him an important piece of their future. He later
tried to clarify his comments. And last week he told a Sacramento
radio station he wanted everyone to start referring to him by his
middle name: William.

So where does that leave Artest now ? Does he want to stay with the
Kings ? Or not ?

"No comment."

Artest smiled. Saying nothing sometimes says enough.