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Artest hopes for trade from Kings, will act as own agent

Ron Artest speaks out. Wants a trade, loves Phil Jackson and the Lakers, and does not see a future with the Kings. A key part of the article also states the Lakers are interested in Artest, but don’t want to give up a package with Odom in it to acquire him. Ron Artest could push for the Lakers though, this should get really interesting!

ESPN: Sacramento Kings forward Ron Artest joined teammates Kevin Martin, Beno Udrih and Shareef Abdur-Rahim as celebrity spectators for the Kings’ first game in the NBA Summer League on the campus of UNLV.

But Artest isn’t feeling like a King.

In a series of e-mails he sent to ESPN.com late Saturday and early Sunday, Artest continued to lament his decision to pass on an opportunity to become a free agent July 1 by announcing that he is now representing himself without an agent and expressing hope that he will soon be traded to “a team out there that can be more committed than Sacramento to me.”

That team is believed to be the Los Angeles Lakers. Almost from the minute they were routed by the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of the NBA Finals — which Artest attended in Boston to root for friends Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom — it has been strongly expected throughout the league that the Lakers would revisit their longstanding trade interest in Artest and eventually acquire the enigmatic forward sometime this summer to address the defense and toughness issues that the Celtics exposed.

But NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com on Sunday that the Lakers — fond as they are of Artest and confident as they are that they can get the best out of him through Phil Jackson’s coaching and Artest’s respect for Bryant — are reluctant to part with Odom in an Artest swap. That stance, if the Lakers hold firm, would almost certainly prompt Sacramento to look elsewhere for a trade partner.

“In a way I wish this [coming 2008-09 season] would have been [Theus'] first year and [Adelman] would have left this summer, because it could have showed how much [of] a winner I am. Guys like Rick Adelman and Rick Carlisle [brought] that out of me. Isiah [Thomas] was going to bring that out of me if he didn’t get fired [by the Knicks]. A coach like Phil Jackson can bring that out me.”

Continue reading ‘ESPN: Artest hopes for trade from Kings, will act as own agent’

44 Comments

  1. magicbalala245 says:

    BRING HIM HOME MITCH BRING HIM HOME

  2. Odom the worst player says:

    Trade Odom for Artest, this only makes sense. Odom eats up so much of our cap. It would be one thing if this geek would try on defense, but he does not. This Odom guy should be fined by the Lakers everytime he just stands there and hold his hands in the air and not even try to block shots. We don’t need Odom if we get Artest. I think the Lakers are crazy not to trade Odom for Artest. This Odom has to go one way or another. Get this geek out of here.

  3. DCLAKER says:

    The Picture is worth a 1000 words.

    WE ARE NOT THE BULLS!!!

    LAKERNATION(KAREEM/BYNUM,MAGIC/KB,KURT RAMBIS/PAU,JAMES WORTHY/LO,BYRON SCOTT OR MYCHAL THOMPSON/ARIZA..what about Luke and Vlad..who sat the bench in ‘87)!

  4. LAKing says:

    MAKE IT HAPPEN!!! I WANT ODOM OUT OF LA AND I WANT ARTEST!!!!

  5. Mamba2410 says:

    Wow…Artest is really pushing for the Lakers, as are the Lakers pushing for Artest, but I hope we don’t have to trade Odom, and if we do, I hope we don’t trade Odom for Artest but hey, if Mitch wants to trade Odom for Artest then I say that’s OK, I’m with Mitch 100% now, not 1% like last summer, sorry Mitch!

  6. Rpoc says:

    C’mon Artest, if you want the fraking Queens to trade to their division you got to push even harder.

    “are reluctant to part with Odom in an Artest swap. That stance, if the Lakers hold firm, would almost certainly prompt Sacramento to look elsewhere for a trade partner.”

    Now this sounds more like Mitch unlike that SacBee rumor of the Lakers offering Odom and Thomas for him so early into the offseason.

    It would be the greatest magic trick Mitch could pull off and I don’t it’ll happen.

  7. Rpoc says:

    *Odom for Artest and Thomas

  8. DaveMac says:

    Trade the bum (Odom) What has he done in 4 yrs for us? Nothing, but just miss layups & stand around in defense with 1 arm up & the other tide to his balls! Nuff Said.

  9. ricky says:

    i think that as long as artest continues to push for a trade and somewhere in his demand specify the lakers as his preferred destination, then there would be no coice but to trade him to los angeles. the problem is, they will definitely want odom in return, but if there is some way the lakers can get artest without having to include odom/ariza/farmar, then i would be all for it. obviously kobe, pau, bynum, and fish are untouchable, but everyone else i would give up in a heartbeat.

  10. D Lo says:

    atta boy mitcb! try to fleece those queens. play hard to get! don’t wait too long though we need to dump odom at some point this off season.

  11. DCLAKER says:

    Sounds too much like GETGARNETT!Remember how that happened?

    Please check the Free Agency list and find someone. ‘Cause a lot of us(though not that many) here are tired and KNOW that if Artest REALLY wanted to be a Laker he would say I want to be Laker,JO said it,Marion said “When do you want me to be a Laker”…LOOK,even Carmelo said “Anybody would be lucky to play beside Kobe”.

    Artest would help us,Yes!But at the end of the season he’d be a problem when structuring his contract,TRUST DAT!Look at the drama he promoting in SACTOWN,shame.

    Kobe is Drama enough.OTHER FREE AGENTS ARE AVAILIBLE!!

  12. awaker85 says:

    I say trade Farmar/Ariza/Mihm/Turiaf (match offer then sign and trade)and Newble (sign to one year contract and trade) for Artest amd Kenney Thomas. Then the Lakers should go sign Shaun Livingston and Kwame Brown and Sun Yue. That way our lineup would be:

    Fisher/Livingston/Sun Yue
    Kobe/Sasha/Coby
    Artest/Walton/Radman
    Gasol/Odom/Thomas
    Bynum/Kwame

  13. lskerfan567 says:

    SIGN JOSH CHILDRESS
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTMmziW8ZSk
    SEE THIS

  14. lakers4life says:

    [Comment ID #45155 Will Be Quoted Here]

    are u saying kobe is kurt rambis?

  15. DCLAKER says:

    Tell’em,Ickerfan!

  16. lskerfan567 says:

    THAS WAS 2006
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_p6MpMn47mE
    SEE THIS MOX OF THE NEXT ARTEST

  17. DCLAKER says:

    Laker4life, look at my comment carefully,and you love it when I comment anyway,I JUST LOVE CONTROVERSY!!

    …and Artest was sportin’a Knicks cap at UNLV’s gym yesterday,hint(he is from Queens though,still….)?

  18. lskerfan567 says:

    ariza and childress thats all we need at the small forward position

  19. Ignard says:

    What do the Lakers see in Lamar that the rest of us don’t see?

  20. VoiceofReason says:

    Do it Mitch!

    We can be looking at the greatest team of all time and Mitch Kupchak winning GM of the decade.

  21. LAKERS4LIFE says:

    THE LAKERS BETTER KEEP ODOM!!!

  22. DCLAKER says:

    Ickerfan,I forgot how many guys Childress has posterized.THE DUNKS ON HINRICH AND MY FAVORITE… ON VINCE CARTER,O..M..G!!!I’m sold,but can imagine Ariza/Childress and Mason,DAAAAAAAAAAMN!

    Thanx,Icker. ‘Cause for a youngin’ YOU MAKE A WHOLE LOTTA SENSE!

  23. varsityoptimism says:

    the guy is just effin crazy.

  24. lskerfan567 says:

    [Comment ID #45182 Will Be Quoted Here]

    IT’LL BE AIFORCE 1

    THE LAKERS WOULD PUT UP LIKE 115 POINTS PER NIGHT IF THEY GET THESE CATS

  25. ricky says:

    here is a 3 team trade i came up with between sacramento, golden state, and los angeles.

    los angeles gets ron artest (exp contract)

    sacramento gets al harrington (exp contract), future draft picks from lakers and golden state

    golden state gets vladimir radmanovic (3 yrs remaining and a shooter to compliment their run & gun system), chris mihm (exp contract, more size for their roster behind biedrins/turiaf if lakers dont match offer)

    here is a link to the trade machine result: http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=25~308~549~1016&teams=13~23~9~9&te=&cash=

    great deal for all 3 teams in my opinion

  26. lskerfan567 says:

    [Comment ID #45178 Will Be Quoted Here]

    FAVRITE VIDEO

  27. DCLAKER says:

    ARIZA/CHILDRESS AND MASON,sounds waaaaay better than anything the Lakers could do for Artest,I mean seriously,if your lookin’ for ‘Chips they better get some players instead of 1.

    Even if Artest is a Laker,ANOTHER PLAYER IS NEEDED(though I feel LO will stay,which means no Artest)!

    ..Still,Mason/Ariza/Kobe and Childress would wreak HAVOC on opponetnts,NOBODY WOULD WANNA PLAY US,not even the SMELL-TICS!

  28. Gelo says:

    Lakers need tough defense at the SF position and a bit of attitude. I think Artest can bring that. Phil and Kobe can make it work and they have shown great interest in him. As much as I like Odom, he just doesn’t bring it every night and especially when it counts. He’s too soft, inconsistent and is nearing 30 without much impact on the team. The Odom experiment needs to end. Make it happen Mitch. Make it happen!

  29. gugy says:

    nobody want garbage like Vlad and Luke. I think there is no way Mitch can pull another magic like the Gasol steal trade.
    Maybe just one but both.

    Unfortunately these three stooges (Luke, Vlad and Mihn) will stay nest season with us.

    Bring Artest, the guy is hungry for a title and he will play with heart in order to bring one to the lakers!

  30. 2inthepink1inthestink says:

    dude the only way sac even considers this is that we take thomas too and they r not going to take our crap guaranteed. we r stuck with luke and vlad for a few more years…

  31. Sako says:

    http://bleacherreport.com/articles/37290-nba-rumors-shawn-marion-on-the-move

    “The Heat have been drawing interests from the Lakers, Warriors, and Clippers.”

    The Lakers would be a nice fit for Marion. They need a defensive player, and Marion is one of the best. He can be able to run with Kobe and will be a nice asset to the triangle.”

    “The Lakers would have been rumored to already offer Lamar Odom and Chris Mihm. I see this trade being fair for the Heat. In return they get Odom’s large expiring contract and a solid center, in which they need, with Mihm.”

    PLEASE MITCH, PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!

  32. gugy says:

    Mihn a solid center?

  33. Stealthman says:

    Again no trade goes through without Odom! C’mon do you honestly believe a rival team would give up a good player for garbage???

    I do not look at this ridiculous trade like that though! I am looking at it from a money standpoint and the playersteam roster! I feel Lamar needs to be included in a deal for Artest because
    1.) He is to expensive to be a bench player! 14 million for a guy comin off the bench?? Get real! That doesnt even make sense!
    2.) Our roster would be bloated with small forwards! Why have Ariza if he doesn’t get a chance to play?
    3.) (and finally) The most obvious reason is he is our biggest trade piece and to get anything of value in return he has to be included. Period. We just stole Pau! No way in hell any GM let’s the Lakers steal another player!

  34. Ko8e_f@n says:

    [Comment ID #45193 Will Be Quoted Here]

    That’s the best possible move we can make this off-season!

  35. Rpoc says:

    [Comment ID #45193 Will Be Quoted Here]
    Bleacher report? What the hell is that?

  36. Sako says:

    [Comment ID #45201 Will Be Quoted Here]

    RealGM also said the Lakers are interested

  37. LakersFirst says:

    [Comment ID #45202 Will Be Quoted Here]

    As much as I like Arest, Odom and Mihm for Marion is more realistic and an easier trade. Marion, I believe, will make $17M which is an expiring contract that is appealing to the Lakers. Not to menion Marion is very good defender and I would say a better slasher than LO. Odom ($14M next year) and Mihm ($2.6M), both have expiring contracts, would appeal to Miami. Pat Riley has always like LO and before his ankle injury, Mihm was a decent center (i.e. he wasn’t terrible).

  38. lakers4life says:

    [Comment ID #45176 Will Be Quoted Here]

    oh my bad didnt see the , but what you mean i love your comments?

  39. lakersforlife77 says:

    Can somebody say “sweet”. The Artest haters have to be nervous now.

  40. DCLAKER says:

    It keeps things interesting is what I’m sayin’.

  41. lskerfan567 says:

    I LOVE TO HATE ON ARTEST JK
    WE ALREADY HAVE RON RON2, BUT WIT OUT THE CRAZY

    TREVOR ARIZA PPLZ, LOOK HIM UP ON YOUTUBE IF YOUR A BANDWAGON LAKER FAN

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