Artest to Knicks???

[Royce]

Artest says Pacers 'better off without him'
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2255420
ESPN.com news services

Ron Artest stunned the Indiana Pacers on Saturday by requesting to be traded, telling the Indianapolis Star that he believes the team would be better off without him.

Artest, who has missed the Pacers' last two games because of a wrist injury, told the Star that he doesn't like playing for coach Rick Carlisle and would prefer to be dealt to the New York Knicks.

"I think I cause a lot of problems here," Artest told the Star in a one-on-one interview Saturday; the story first appeared on the newspaper's Web site. "If the trade rumors, if there is any truth -- maybe it won't be a bad thing. They probably could win more games without me."

Artest said he wants to play in an offense where he's allowed to shoot more, adding, "If it was a perfect world, I would be going to New York."

Pacers chief executive Donnie Walsh was taken aback by Artest's request, saying the former All-Star and defensive player of the year had never raised such concerns with team officials.

"I've never heard him say anything before," Walsh told the Star. "He hasn't talked to me, and I see him every day.

"He can always come up and talk to me or [team president] Larry Bird," Walsh said. "From here on out, I expect Ronnie to be a professional. ... [This] isn't the best way to get a trade done."

"You never want to lose someone like that," Carlisle told the newspaper, calling Artest "one of the elite talents in the league."

One of the NBA's best defenders as well as one of the league's most combustible players, Artest set off last season's Pistons-Pacers brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills by charging into the stands after a fan who threw a drink. Artest was suspended for the balance of the season -- 73 games.

"I still think my past haunts me here," Artest told the Star. "I think somewhere else I'm starting fresh. I'm coming in with baggage but people already know about it and how I'm going to be. Either they're going to be for me or they're not going to trade for me. Here I think my past haunts me.

"I think [Indiana] will be a better team without me."

Artest said Carlisle is a good coach, but criticized the Pacers' structured offense as too restricted for him.

"I'm so demanding of the ball. It's not my fault," Artest told the Star. "Every time somebody is on me it's a mismatch. It messes up the offense. I like Coach [Carlisle] as a person, but I don't like playing for Coach. I like my team, though."

"Don't get it twisted. He's a very good coach. He knows what he's doing. I personally don't like playing for him. I would not want to see him get fired for me after all the immaturity I've been through with this organization."

Artest, whose contract expires in 2008 and includes an $8.5 million player option for 2008-09, makes $6.5 million this season.

[Tigers#1]

Thatd be a good fit. That team needs a little contoversy.

While their at it, they should sign Sprewell, then can be one giant looney-bin. :ticking:

[MarkPope]

I'm not really sure who the Knicks could offer as trade bait. Who would the Pacers want that the Knicks have?

[Timberwolf]

I am going to chalk this up more as a frustration more than anything. I am dissapointed that he would make these remarks especially after the way the organization and their fans have stood up for him all season last year. Obviously, he is frustrated with the way his season has gone, but he was better served not to make these remarks especially with how he is being targeted by everyone these days. He talks about playing for stats. He should be old enough to realize that playing for stats is for losers. Who cares? iI's about winning not much how points he scores. Ask Al Harrington or Joe Johnson and find out what's it like playing for a team that could give them to score and get more minutes, but not win games. He talks about how the past haunts him. Now I know it's easier said than done and it's hard to do, but the only way you can overcome the past is just keep playing hard and win and try to forget about what happened. Now granted I am a Ron Artest fan so I hold no bitterness towards him. I think he has tried hard to change and be a positive influence to his team in the last couple of years. He has to continue to do so not think about the past. He is the only one that can do it himself not others. Sure people are going to keep talking about the past, but it's not going to go away till he does something about it and the only way he can do something about it is just keep playing and be a good teammate. He can do that. It's up to him not the media, his teammates, his family, or his coaches. They can't do it for him.

Of course, he may have worn out his welcome with the team for good though with those comments. Jermaine O'Neal is really peeved at Ron and I doubt he will forgive him again. Donnie Walsh is also fed up. Pacers fans who treat their players like heroes are fed up with Ron. Good luck in getting something in return.

At the mean time, I like to see things work out with Artest and the Pacers. Sometimes the grass is not grenner on other sides.

MarkPope: Knicks have nothing to offer unless Isiah is dumb enough to offer Frye or Robinson for Artest. On paper, it makes sense for both teams, but the Knicks can ill-afford to give up youth. Besides if Artest hates playing for Carlisle, I can only imagine what would it be like if he played for Brown, who runs a structure offense. Brown would drive Artest insane and vice versa.

Tigers #1: My dream team for the Knicks would be Kobe, Steph, Ronnie with LB and Isiah running the team.

[Tigers#1]

MarkPope: Knicks have nothing to offer unless Isiah is dumb enough to offer Frye or Robinson for Artest. On paper, it makes sense for both teams, but the Knicks can ill-afford to give up youth. Besides if Artest hates playing for Carlisle, I can only imagine what would it be like if he played for Brown, who runs a structure offense. Brown would drive Artest insane and vice versa.

Tigers #1: My dream team for the Knicks would be Kobe, Steph, Ronnie with LB and Isiah running the team.
Stop being such a Yorkist! Your always riping New York. :D

[Timberwolf]

Note the scarcasm, Kyle.

[lal4l]

Go to the Lakers Marc Stein of ESPN says that theyh are the harders persuaders... And Denver is too!

[MarkPope]

The only team that I can really see having something to offer the Pacers would be the Kings via Peja.

[Royce]

The Kings won't trade Peja for someone like Artest. No one will trade anything of that value for him because of the risk associated with Artest.

[Timberwolf]

Royce: The Maloofs can care less if a player is a good guy or not as long as he can play. Kings have shown that they can sign punks like Keon Clark and Bonzi Wells so acquiring Ron Artest would not be out of the norm. Besides Peja has showed that he has aged and that his shooting is not what it used to be.

[MarkPope]

Plus, isn't Peja a free agent after this year or next?

[Tigers#1]

After this year.

[Tigers#1]

Pacers encouraged by 12-15 offers for ArtestBy Chris Sheridan
ESPN Insider


Indiana Pacers president Donnie Walsh is "encouraged" by the quality of the offers he has received for Ron Artest, including what he said were at least two proposals involving All-Star caliber players.


Without being specific about any of the 12-15 offers he said he had received, Walsh told ESPN.com he had heard from 20 teams, some of which merely called to ask what Walsh was looking for. Walsh said he was planning to get back to three of those teams to make specific requests.

"I've talked to a lot of teams, discussed myriad types of offers. Some are player for player, some involve first-round draft picks, some involve savings, some involve a combination of those things," Walsh said. "I'm encouraged by some of the things we were offered."

He would not set a timetable for trading Artest, though he did concede: "I'd like to get it behind us, but I don't feel any [time] pressure to do it. I'd like to winnow it down to two or three deals I'd like to do."

Artest has been placed on the inactive list and told to stay away from the team while Walsh fields trade offers. Artest's agent said he expects a trade to be completed by the end of the week. On Friday, Walsh told ESPN's Steven A. Smith that the Pacers will keep Artest on the inactive list for the rest of the season if they are unable to trade their disgruntled All Star. In that case, Artest would still receive his full salary.

Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird is in Spain on a scouting trip and has been receiving daily updates from Walsh over the telephone. Bird has made no plans to shorten his trip, Walsh said.

In the five days since Artest asked for a trade, saying he felt restricted in Rick Carlisle's offense, the rest of the Pacers have distanced themselves from him. Jermaine O'Neal said he'd like to see the Pacers acquire Bonzi Wells or Al Harrington for Artest.

Many league executives say Artest might only be a good fit for a coach with a proven track record of working well with players needing extra guidance. Three that fit that mold include Phil Jackson of the Lakers, Pat Riley of Miami and Larry Brown of the Knicks.

The Lakers were said by several sources to be one of the teams most interested in Artest, though not to the point where they'd consider trading Lamar Odom. The Heat could trade Antoine Walker, whose salary is almost an exact match for Artest's, while Knicks president Isiah Thomas' refusal to discuss Channing Frye has taken New York out of the running.

"I'm assuming I can't get a guy as good as [Artest]," Walsh said, adding that he had no preference for trading Artest to a Western Conference team rather than one from the East. "We're just going through the process to get to a point where we can choose something we like."