Ron Artest

[Bamboozled]

What's the general consensus on Ron Artest? He's a great defender, solid ballhandler and good scorer. When playing well, he might be one of the 5 best 2-way players in the game today. I realize he's insane, but is he so insane that Lebron couldn't do anything with him?

[eyejayem]

I think it could possibly work but would it be a tough to have Artest play PF or Lebron play SG, thats why it wouldnt work. We have a problem against small quick guards or big PFs.

[Bamboozled]

Yeah, Artest wouldn't be able to contain Tony Parker or Chris Paul. But John Hollinger of ESPN.com made the argument that Artest plays shockingly well as a PF in a more uptempo/smallball lineup, because he's so strong.

[shrink]

CLE TRADES: Drew Gooden, Eric Snow, Cedric Simmons,
CLE GETS: Ron Artest, Kenny Thomas

CLE needs something -- maybe its Artest (who would agree to play next season at $7.1 too)? They upgrade from Gooden to Artest at a cost of another year of salary on the tail end (after they are out of the lux), and give up Cedric Simmons, who might be guaranteed salary they don't want since they are over the lux with Varejao. Gooden's been important, but Marshall's healthy again, and maybe Kenny Thomas can help next to giant Zyd Ilgauskis. Artest might provide the defense they need.

SAC TRADES: Ron Artest, Kenny Thomas, Dahntay Jones (exp)
SAC GETS: Garrity (exp), Arroyo (exp), Eric Snow, Cedric Simmons, ORL 1st

SAC uses Artest value to save $8 mil in each of 2008-09, and 2009-10 to get some room to sign Kevin Martin. Kenny Thomas for Eric Snow saves a year of salary. This deal is mostly about financial rebuilding, but ORL's late pick and Cedric Simmons are tools for the future.

ORL TRADES: Garrity (exp), Arroyo (exp), 2008 1st
ORL GETS: Drew Gooden, Dahntay Jones (exp)

Orlando adds a legitimate big man to help under the boards, and is willing to make a three year commitment because he's young, and ORL will be tapped out for free agents for a while. This helps them play Turkoglu and Lewis more at their legitimate SF positions, and reduces injury risks to their expensive players.

[mg]

If the Cavs agree to take Kenny Thomas they could possibly have their pick of Artest or Bibby. I don't know that they are willing to take on KT's contract.

Mike Brown coached Artest when he was an assistant in Indiana..honestly I would be very surprised if they ever dealt for Artest.

I believe Ferry will make a move before the deadline but it will be a smaller trade..not expecting to see an Artest, Bibby, or Kidd.

[shrink]

If the Cavs agree to take Kenny Thomas they could possibly have their pick of Artest or Bibby. I don't know that they are willing to take on KT's contract.

I wouldn't be surprised if they offered you Bibby instead of Artest, but you think you'd rather have Bibby? Bibby costs twice what Artest does, and you'd also have the problems with salary matching.

The key to taking KT's contract here is that you use Eric Snow to cover most of next year's salary. If I were breaking it down:

Let's assume that you can get $2 mil worth of production out of Kenny, so he has an effective salary of $6 mil. With Snow's salary of $6 mil (and very little production), I'd say that is a wash.

However, Kenny Thomas has another year (let's assume, at a -$6 mil.). Throw that across Artest's $7 mil for two years, and he'd have to produce $10 mil in production. I think that's reasonable. You'd never be able to justify Bibby being worth his $14 mil/yr salary, let alone $17 mil.

So let's compare it to what you're giving up. Will Gooden and Simmons produce enough to justify their combined salary? I think that's probably even too, so to me, it seems like a fair trade.

Anyway, financially it seems like a fair deal. The question for CLE (which I can't answer) is whether you think you have a better chance with the production of Artest and Thomas, or with the production of Gooden, Snow and Simmons. I think it improves you, but I know Gooden is important, so I leave that to you. Personally, I think Artest is a big risk, but his upside is higher, so you'd have to determine whether its a risk you'd be willing to take. Financially though, I think my deal is sound.

[LiquidFire]

is there a way we can obtain BOTH ron artest and mike bibby, without giving up lebron, boobie, AV, or big z?

[jnester71]

Why would you guys want to give up anything for a guy who can AND WILL opt out at the end of the year?

Do you think the Cavs are that close that Artest pushes them over the top?


I can't see that one at all..

[B Mac]

Do you think the Cavs are that close

Yes

that Artest pushes them over the top?

No

[Baseline Runner]

Artest is the best player in Sacramento and is responsible for what success they've had this season. Look at how good Indiana was with Artest winning 60 games a year. He's a great player whom even Larry Bird thought as one of the ten best in the league. Him and Jason Kidd are the only two players in my opinion that would put us over the top that we could realistically acquire. He gives us a legit second scorer while solidifying are defense into perhaps the best in the league. He even brings good ball handling and passing skills that can compensate for our lack of PG. His all around skills and elite defense is the closest thing this league has seen to Pippen in the last 10 years. Artest is only 28 and in his prime too

A Hughes/James/Artest/Varejao would be scarily reminiscent of the Harper/Jordan/Pippen/Rodman lineup that won 70 games. Throw in Z and Gibson giving us more low post scoring and outside shooting than that Bulls team had and we'd have a championship caliber team.

I don't know how bad Thomas contract is but it might be a risk worth taking. Gooden is the weak link on this team in my opinion and to get Artest for him is such a massive upgrade in talent.

[rjgraca]

Yes. Thomas' contract is that bad. He's an undersized PF who is and average defender at best who lost his offensive game in a much worse fashion than Larry Hughes (if that is possible) and he rebounds not much better than Larry Hughes too. You can see his name listed most games as DNP (Did Not Play coaches decision). Thomas gets paid 7.5 million this year, 8 million next year and 8.5 million the year after.

Artest is a rental for this season since he will opt out of his current bargain contract and expects his next contract to be in the range of 13 to 14 million according to most published reports.

My agent says I should (command) something like $14 or $15 million this summer."

Then again, this is Ron Artest, woefully underpaid at $7.4 million but a major risk for any franchise interested in a long-term deal.

From todays Sacramento Bee

Yes, Artest did help Indiana win 60 games one season and imploded in the playoffs when he couldn't control his emotions which showed it's ugly head again the following season with his great fight with the Fans of Detroit. His talent teases you and his mentality hurts teams in the long run. I have no doubt that Artest is being on his best behavior in his contract year, but he's too risky to justify taking on Thomas' boat anchor contract.

[zmac-]

Hughes, Snow, and Marshall for Artest and Jones.

Artest never plays and opts out.

Suddenly lots of salary off the books.

[Bamboozled]

It's a shame about the Kings insisting on including Kenny Thomas into any prospective trade. The guy's contract is practically unmovable, and the only way I could see another team willing to take him is it the Kings were to accept less than face value on either Bibby or Artest.

And if the Cavs were to acquire Thomas and Bibby, then Larry Hughes would have to be coming back to Sacramento. It also wouldn't help the Cavs hole at PF (assuming Gooden is included) because if Thomas isn't playing on a team that's devoid of an inside presence, how is he going to beat Z, Andy and Marshall for minutes?

[Ballings7]

Unrealistic. Even in the summer, though would say doubtful, there. (on the Ron Show)