He will make up his mind tonight…
Sacramento Bee: Opting out makes little financial sense for Artest. The Lakers, for example, might be able to offer a shot at the title, but they would be restricted to a midlevel exception offer (approximately $6 million per season) for a contract - a plight shared by most of the league. Artest’s agent, Mark Stevens, said it was “obvious” opting out would result in a midlevel exception deal.
If Artest opts out, the Kings, who hold Artest’s Bird rights, could execute a sign-and-trade deal in which he can sign a sixyear deal rather than the maximum five with other teams.
In an e-mail to The Bee last week, Artest sounded as if the allure of joining a title contender was enough to lose money. “I never knew so many teams would be coming after me,” he wrote. “All I can say is I made a (big) turnaround.”
Artest “Not Opting Out” according to local Sac news station
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Breaking News: Artest e-mails SacBee about opting out!?
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Awesome….but even if he does opt out tonight…he’ll either sign with Sacrapmento or Denver….the Lakers would have to trade some players anyway to get Artest right? Like Kupchak said…this team isn’t in rebuilding mode..though I wouldn’t mind having a little upgrade lol
wow..what a big turn around?? I hope it becomes 99% sure that he will opt out..Come on Ron! We want u here in LALA land!!!
Why would Denver go after Artest? Denver is over the salary cap just like the Lakers are, so Denver only has their MLE to offer Artest, if he becomes a free agent.
Denver could work a sign and trade for Artest, so they could trade someone like Nene, but his contract is way too big (over $40M over the next 4 years - not sure if Sac wants that). Denver could offer Marcus Camby, however doing so would leave them without a center. Kenyon Martin is another possibility but he hasn’t been the same since his microfracture knee surgery.
If Artest does come down to a sign and trade, the Lakers only real bargaining chip is LO and his expiring $14M contract.
WE WANT YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11
I got a funny feelin’he’ll be a Laker(Artest loves fiascos and Drama).
….and I’m still stickin’ to my guns,PIETRUS(JULY 9)!
if Artest gets signed, L.O is gonna have a bf when the season starts, he doesnt want to come off the bench
umm i want artest i think he gonna opt out and see lakers or kings…rings or money its all in his hands.. but cant we do a sign and trade where he gets more money just so that would guarantee him coming to LA???? i hope he becomes a laker..
dc laker pick one, we cant have both pietrus and artest,other small forwards we have on the roster
walton, vlad, ariza, odom,
Artest is —–NOT—— gonna be a Laker so dont get no hopes up.Not gonna happen. Our team has all ready been spoiled once, u think its gon happen again??
get ride of Luke and vlad and get Artest. Then we would have a great team!! Lakers 2009!
Pietrus(Damn it’s hard to say)’cause he’s cheaper and won’t be a problem in the off-season,like, ask for a ridiculous price AFTER WE WIN,then we have another signing fiasco(Shaq and Kobe).
Now I’m torn ’cause my boy Villanueva is goin’ to be availible,WOW!
Do we know what time and what channel they will announce his decision?
Just getting rid of Vlad Rad and Luke will just be an upgrade.
That way LO will take a SF spot full time, Ariza will come sub in for SF.
Or.
Sasha will come in for the SG and Kobe will sub in to the SF spot.
If we get Artest will have way too many SFs. At least one of our existing SF will have to go.
i don’t know about you guys but, an opt-out by artest is a sign that the lakers won’t get him. think about it. he makes 7 million a year in his current contract and the lakers only have the mid level exception to offer at 5-6million if he opts out.
artest, to me, isn’t the type to take less money just to win a title, this guy hasn’t been paid what he has deserved.
“big turnaround” is a stretch from saying he’s going to be a laker. the lakers have a better chance of trading for him if he doesn’t opt out because then they’d only have to match 7 million.
He’z not going to do it..
Artest is such a needy guy. He needs all the attention he can get. I won’t be surprized if he tries to promote another CD tonite while he is announcing.
He is opting out and it isn’t because all these teams want him. He wants to make more money and his agent and him has a plan. They will try to negotiate a sign and trade in order to build up the price of his contract. If we trade Radman we could actually offer him more and start his salary at 7 mill….. that… are just pay the mle for him. Also make sure that the contract has alot of continencies such as if he hits hits g/f or starves his dogs or attacks people on the street you can automatically cancel his contract.
Artest is such a needy guy. He needs all the attention he can get. I won’t be surprized if he tries to promote another CD tonite while he is announcing.
He is opting out and it isn’t because all these teams want him. He wants to make more money and his agent and him has a plan. They will try to negotiate a sign and trade in order to build up the price of his contract. If we trade Radman we could actually offer him more and start his salary at 7 mill….. that… are just pay the mle for him. Also make sure that the contract has alot of continencies such as if he hits hits g/f or starves his dogs or attacks people on the street you can automatically cancel his contract.
COME TO L.A. RON!..
I’d love to have Artest but I live by the rule (when the it pertains to NBA) MORE is better,not money,players.There are too many players that we can make bids for who would come in and do their jobs and BE PROUD TO BE APART OF LAKERNATION.That’s all I need is a guy to say “I WANT TO BE A LAKER,HELL YEAH I DO”(REMEMBER JO)!
We can sign Artest for about 6 mil or even better sign and trade luke or vlad and some change and get rid of some dead weight in the process. I will feel a lot better about our team if we get Ron, he is exactly what we need to get to that championship level. its like when rodman went to the bulls, he is the missing link, but im not going to get my hopes up yet!
who is ron artest?
From the latest report:
GetArtest.com now!!!!
STAY IN SAC TOWN, RON!!!!
THE LAKERS DONT NEED YOU
Sounds to me like double talk. Artest and his agent are putting the Kings feet to the fire. If you want me sign me to a six year deal or loose me to free agency. A sign and trade would be bad for the Lakers for it is sure the Kings do not want to do anything to make the Lakers stronger. It is time for the Kings to make some decisions.
Artest is a LOT of talk - this we know. But he damn well produces on the court… At the end of the day, I would LOVE to have Ron-Ron in purple and yellow.
Money or rings - that is the question.
damn i like artest’s game but i hate how he’d rather have 1 more mil that one ring
wow who wouldnt give up 1 mil for 2-3 rings?
If a sign and trade does happen, the question to answer is…
LO or Ron Artest????
That is unless Mitch finds some way for Sac to take Radman and/or Luke.
I hope he comes here thats all we can do for now is hope!
FEELING YOU!!!
ring or money my friend….ring….or….money
THERE WILL BE NO SIGN AND TRADE PEOPLE!!
Either we sign artest if he opts out, or we dont get artest
we definitely aren’t trading for him
artest is probaly gonna sign with the spurs
If Ron is smart, he should opt out and play for the Lakers to get a ring.
ARTEST WILL NOT OPT OUT,HE SAID OUT OF HIS OWN MOUTH!
NOW….GETPIETRUS,GETJOSHSMITH,GETMAGGETTE….GET A CRACK HEAD TO THE BLOW SMOKE OUT WHEN THE LAKERS COME OUT FOR WARM - UPS,We’ll still win a ring without Artest,all we need are 2 role players.
S@#$,I’D LOVE TO HAVE VILLANUEVA IN A LAKER UNIFORM!