Stephen A. Smith- Artest rumor

[CinciSixersFan]

While I never would have dreamed this deal up, Ron-Ron would make a lot of sense in Philly for all of the reasons you guys have previously mention. He could contribute this year and turn this team into one of the most athletic in the East. It honestly would make us the 6th best team in the conference Lots of quick athletic guys who can run the floor with Sammy flying around blocking shots.

Let's face it, as bad as the east is, even if we don't make a move, we'll be far from a decent lottery pick and possibly the 7th or 8th seed, if Ed makes this we can actually compete, maybe even get in the second round.

I know we think we need a PF, but plenty of teams are able to suceed without one when they have plenty of talent at other positions.

Then if Atrest sticks around, great we get another year with Dre and Ron-Ron and then cash in with mucho cap room in the Summer of 2009. If he leaves this year, we get more cap relief this year.

DO IT ED!

[phillyborn_jacksonite]

not sure if anyone mentioned this but if he were tog et traded here..Mo would have no problem putting him at the 4.

ROn ROn is very strong, much stronger than thad who is already at the 4. He can guard most 4's except maybe amare or duncan(but who can guard them anyway) and he is a solid post up player and an excellent passer out of the post.

i just can't see Petrie pulling this deal and handcuffing himself this summer for willie, carney and and 09 pick....it would be a coup de tah by ED if it were true.

[tk76]

As much as it would be fun to watch Evans and Ron Ron scare the crap out of their opponents I am really wary about putting a veteran bad apple on a team full of young players.

Artest would have by far the strongest personality on the team- and I could see a TO situation down the road where he undermines the leadership of our young high character players leading to a fractured locker room.

Once a teams is divided, even if you get rid of the bad actor the problem usually persists.

I admit that Artest is usually well liked by teammates, but I would still fear trouble somewhere down the road.

Artest would be the perfect "Rodman" for a veteran team in need of some attitude to get over the hump. I do not see him as the right poeice for a young squad of players trying to make their mark and find their way.

[tk76]

I do agree with you all that salary and talent wise the move makes sense. I just have the same concerns as when peole suggest adding Zach- even more so because Ron Ron has a much stronger personality and locker room presence.

[SendEm]

Artest is a great teammate and none of his coaches have ever had a problem with him. Artest has a problem with saying the right thing in the media. That on court fight that he had I feel was warranted and I completely understand why he went into the stands. He's mentally more stable than Rodman AND Alonzo Mourning. Zo would be silly enough to allow guys like Charles Oakley bait him to retaliate at the end of games to hurt his team and it would work EVERYTIME NO MATER WHAT THE SCORE AND SITUATION.

[barkley34]

Artest is a great teammate and none of his coaches have ever had a problem with him.

What? Rick Carlisle suspended him multiple times. One time he suspended him 2 games because Artest wanted a month off during the season to promote a CD release. Their relationship was so bad at the end Artest demanded a trade.

This is a list of his problems. I wouldn't want the guy within 200 feet of our young players.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2281289

[tk76]

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This is a list of his problems. I wouldn't want the guy within 200 feet of our young players.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2281289

Jan 4, 2003: Suspended three games and fined $35,000 for smashing video equipment after a loss to the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

Maybe we could get him to break the Salmi-Strator.

Maybe he can help Lou, and suggest he take some time off to re-dedicate himself to his career... as a deejay.

[Stanford]

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What? Rick Carlisle suspended him multiple times. One time he suspended him 2 games because Artest wanted a month off during the season to promote a CD release. Their relationship was so bad at the end Artest demanded a trade.

This is a list of his problems. I wouldn't want the guy within 200 feet of our young players.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2281289

Did I miss the part about 2007/08?

[SendEm]

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What? Rick Carlisle suspended him multiple times. One time he suspended him 2 games because Artest wanted a month off during the season to promote a CD release. Their relationship was so bad at the end Artest demanded a trade.

This is a list of his problems. I wouldn't want the guy within 200 feet of our young players.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2281289

Carlisle is not a coach in the NBA right now because not only didn't his players like him but the front office didn't care for him as well.

[Kenny_ Pain]

WHERE CAN WE FIND THIS RUMOR?????? Is it on audio or video???? Is it in a newspaper article??? Where did Stephen A say this??? We need proof!

[freshie2]

The fact that Stephen A said it makes it pretty unbelievable, but the Sixers were mentioned in an earlier post from one of the ESPN chats (I think) that referenced the chances of Artest moving before the deadline.

Proof that SAS said or wrote it probably would pretty much eliminate it from ever possibly happening...the odds are better if SAS thinks this is crazy.

[SacKingZZZ]

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Two words, Geoff Petrie...his SMART moves FAR outweigh his STUPID moves. His track record speaks for itself.

I don't know, Petrie seems to LOVE dealing with the Sixers for some reason!

[UptownPhilly]

Artest seems like one of the risks Stefanski would take. Therefore, I wouldn't be shocked if Artest is one of his targets.

[Fire BK]

Frankly, Narducci has no clue what's going on inside the organization.... Listen to D. Bods. Take Deep Sixer with a heavy grain of salt. Actually, lots of his blog's fodder comes directly from our boards.... That's been obvious for a while. So thanks for reading, Marc. [Now fix the typos].

Ok.

Granted, Geoff Petrie and the Maloofs are shrewd men.... This deal is highly conjecture.... But unlike Narducci, let's go deeper and consider three of Sacto's major motivations: (1) Kenny Thomas contract, (2) Ron Ron's RFA status, and (3) West/East breakdown.... There are reasons to believe the Sixers are definitely in the mix here.

(1) Ideally, Petrie packages [BK's atrocious] Kenny Thomas contract in any Artest deal.... Rightfully so, that's his #1 priority... But if nobody in the NBA is willing to take on KT's contract along with Artest, this rumor could actually have legs.

Petrie's been trying to move KT's contract for a while. Perhaps he finally gives up, because it really doesn't appear to be happening. Now. That's the first domino that must drop before this longshot scenario could move forward.

But there's reason to believe KT is unmovable. There are no takers. The Knicks (believe it or not) are trying the shed salary. So is every team. Also, Sacto wants the Knicks to surrender David Lee for Artest. And that's just not happening.

The Nuggets certainly won't add KT's salary. Of all the potential Artest suitors, it doesn't appear that anyone will accept KT's contract. Also, not that many teams can be seriously vying for Artest.

Now. (2) Everybody knows Artest is opting out of Sacto this summer. So Petrie still has reason to seek value for Ron Ron even if he can't attach a KT salary-dump-- which is looking increasingly likely.

But why wouldn't Petrie just wait until the summer to sign + trade? This is the second important consideration.

The Sonics got a $9 mil trade exception and a 2nd rounder for Rashard Lewis last summer. Artest is probably going to command about $11 or $12 per year as a free agent. There's not many teams who can pay that. Sacto's trade partners over the summer might be thinner than they are right now. Petrie appears more interested in adding young talent and picks rather than solely a trade exception. That's the kind of value he's sought all along.

If KT's contract can't be moved, Petrie has reason to move Artest solo if he thinks he can get young talent, picks and an expiring right now.

The Denver package has to resemble Kleiza, 2008 first rd + Najera.

The Knicks have been offering Balkman and change forever.

The Sixers' package [Utah 09 pick, Carney, WG and Ollie's expiring] is in this ballpark. They are definitely in the running.... Making Jason Smith available might actually get it done.

(3) Just like all teams in their position, it's in the Kings' best interest to move Artest out of the Western Conference. So, if the packages between Denver and Philly are ultimately even, the Sixers have the edge simply because it wouldn't threaten Sacto and the West.

There's plenty of reason to believe Stefanski is in play for Artest. In addition to the 3 factors above, Petrie has shown a willingness to trade with Philly... Also, Stefanski has shown a willingness to take risks on questionable character guys (see the Sean Williams draft pick).

Lastly, as Mortgage guys, the Maloofs are not enjoying their most bountiful moment right now. Especially considering attendance is down, too. It might be time for Sacto to begin cutting their losses and make a change.

The Sixers have several attractive pieces in their young players, draft picks and expirings.

At the very least, this rumor much more depth than the Deep Sixer has provided.

[Kenny_ Pain]

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I don't know, Petrie seems to LOVE dealing with the Sixers for some reason!

Why would he love to deal with the sixers???

Are you referring to the Webber trade? I would take Webber and Matt Barnes right now for Skinner, Kenny Thomas and Corlis Williamson. We traded 3 bums at that time for 1 bum. Skinner, Thomas and Williamson didn't make the Kings any better either. How much cap space will you guys have this summer????

[Fire BK]

PS---In terms of purely basketball, this is a great move for the Sixers.

Ron Ron is a serious post-up player. I don't care if he's not a traditional 4 -- he can play the low-block. The Sixers don't have anyone who can do that.

He's an absolute beast on D, and this would make the Sixers one of the best defensive teams in the league.

Let's face it. The Sixers are in-line for a playoff berth. Might as well take a shot to get better. If it doesn't work, you add flexibility by owning his S&T rights this summer and clear cap space. It's a win-win.

[Mahorn at the 4]

This team is oly 2 1/2 games out of the 6 seed, 6 games out of the 5 seed. Therefore, the talk of such a deal does make sense.

That being said, what players might be available for a combination of Ollie, Green, Carney, Utah's pick?

Artest?
Wilcox? Seattle likely wouldn't want Green, but would they take Carney, Ollie and Smith, pick?

Could we all of a sudden be buyers, not sellers?

[Dedicated_76ers_fan]

I just can't wait to see Iggy/Thad/Ron RUN da gym .

[Fire BK]

Could we all of a sudden be buyers, not sellers?

Interesting, right?

I think Ed's doing a fantastic job, because he's letting everything play itself out, and he's not getting locked into any certain frame of mind. This was BK's exact mistake.

Look at the 06 Phillies. All season, they were sellers with the Abreu trade. Then suddenly, when the season wound down, and they were in the playoff hunt. So they became buyers and made plays for Jamie Moyer, etc.

Clearly, these are much different circumstances. But it's not uncommon for teams to flip the switch from sellers to buyers (and vice-versa) during the season.

With the Sixers recent surge (7-2 since benching Reggie Evans), there's been a shift in the landscape. The Nets are in disarray, and don't seem to have a stronghold on any playoff spot. Even if the Kidd trade falls through, rumors are that Kidd might shut it down for the remainder of the season in protest.

So the Sixers are staring at the NBA playoffs.... Great experience for the young guys..... Might as well try to improve your team.

I love the Wilcox idea. I'm all over his contract. Great PF body, too. I'd rather have Artest, but if that fails, I would support trading that package for Wilcox.

I think the Sixers should definitely be buyers right now. If they can nab a post player, get it done.... I would swap the Carney/Green/Evans/Utah pick (AND Jason Smith).... for another piece.

I like Villanueva for Carney and the Utah pick.

[CPops57]

FireBK, thanks for the very entertaining and informed analysis.