Artest 99 Percent Sure He Won't Opt Out Of Contract

[KF10]

Per Wiretap

[pillwenney]

I don't know about that. According to some Lakers fans, he's definitely going to opt out and sign there for the MLE because he went to a couple Finals games. And if they say it, it must be true.

Seriously though, the funny thing about this is that people will hear it and say "yeah well Artest just says stuff--this doesn't mean anything", and then when he says that likes New York or something people will jump on it and scream "ZOMG Artest is going Knicks lawl!"

[Ballings7]

Laker fans are contradicting themselves in relation to Artest now.

They see their lackings (not just defensively, too), they see the Celtics team, they see Paul Pierce destroying them - desperation and convenience resulting changes in feeling.

I don't think Ron is too realistic for the Lakers, trade or FA (to a lesser degree). In order for either, changes have to happen first relating to the Lakers and Artest's contract status. Especially the Lakers small/bigger foward situation, which is overloaded.

[KF10]

Agreed mitch and Ballings. Yeah, there is going to be the usual contradictions about Artest and etc...

[KingInExile]

Why believe something that he and his agent have consistently said over the last several months when it's so much more fun to believe a fantasy based on a Hoopsworld rumor?

[dozencousins]

Ron is simply being Ron everything he says needs to not be taken so seriously good or bad he is very complex !

I doubt he opts out at this point he either gets locked up in a 4-5 year deal after next season with the kings at a little higher salary per season or the kings likely trade him no later than the trade deadline but if the kings did decide to trade him it would likely be before the season starts as he would have the greatest value before the season.

Take what Ron Ron says with a grain of salt !

[Ballings7]

Ron is simply being Ron everything he says needs to not be taken so seriously good or bad he is very complex !

He isn't that complex. Some things he says and has said are iffy or questionable, no doubt, but not the majority of things. That's just exaggerating and overlooking the other stuff he says which is relative to the opposite.

For example, when he talks about wanting to win, that shouldn't be taken seriously? When he talks about how Kobe, Duncan, and LeBron being his 3 favorite players, ditto? And about Kevin Martin being a star? Also about really liking Sacramento, and appreciating the Kings organization?

Just some of many - improve the perspective with better memory and better following of what's stated before saying something that is off.

[King Baller]

Sacto is good for Ron in the same way it was for Webber.

How many remember Webber with the Wizards, the pot, the stripper. Remember how Webb was not coming to Sacto? Where was he gonna find any soul food? But in the end he did and it worked out pretty good.

KB

[dozencousins]

Ballings my comment about Ron being Ron is simply has to do with his temper at times and the fact he is to quick to open his mouth at times without thinking !
I am in no way dissing Ron i love his play and i love even more his desire to win !
My comment about Ron being Ron had nothing more to do with anything but his lack of thinking before he speaks at times

Everyone who listens to Ron speak or have read his interviews should clearly know many times he does not think clearly when he speaks about things like wanting to be knick,wanting to play in denver with carmelo,

Ron has been great for us "the KINGS " but that does not mean he doesn't speak at times often enough when he should just keep some of his thoughts private

I was so happy when we traded Peja for Ron but that said i have no doubt reguardless if this is popular or not that we will not extend Rons contract and if he stays we will trade him for future picks,packaging him with k9,reef or possibly moore though i doubt we would add moore in most deal mainly because the 1 guy we want to unload on everybody is k9 !

This is the 1 season more than any i can see petrie getting rid of alot of our older vets on the team i realize Rons not old but with salmons and garcia able to play small forward though not as good as Ron i see Ron being dealt as he has value making him expendable to get either better cap space or young talent or picks !

[Bac2Basics]

If Ron's that sure he's not going to opt out, he should just go ahead and do it.

What I'd really like to see is Ron sign what he has to as far as not opting out before the draft, that way it gives the Kings the flexibility to trade him if the right offer comes along. Not that Sacramento would be desperate to trade him or anything but that it creates the option to do so.

[Smills91]

I think this thread needs to be bumped up for Laker posters.

[RIPskaterdude]

But there are basketball issues involved -- does Artest fit in offensively in Jackson's triangle? -- and bigger obstacles than the X's and O's to making that move. Artest told ESPN.com earlier this week that he's "99 percent sure" he won't be opting out of the final year of his contract by the June 30 deadline. Assuming he doesn't change his mind, Artest would thus be available to the Lakers only via trade, which would then require two old rivals to come together on a deal … with Sacramento likely to insist on holding out for Odom's expiring contract in exchange for Artest and Kenny Thomas.

Artest followed up our Tuesday interview with an e-mail Thursday in which he said: "Even if I was to opt out, which probably won't happen, I will never accept a mid-level exception. So people trying to figure out possibilities should get that out of their heads."

Translation: Artest is strongly against opting out largely because he knows that the Lakers (and any other interested party) likely would offer him a free-agent contract starting at no higher than the mid-level, which was $5.4 million this season. He'd rather play next season at $7.4 million for Sacramento or whomever -- knowing that the Kings are virtually certain to get various trade offers if he elects to play out the final year of his contract -- then see what kind of deal he can command on the 2009 free-agent market.

"Next summer can be a bigger [free-agent] summer for me if the Kings win big," Artest said, "which is … anything else is a failure."

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2008/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&page=steinsixquestions-080620

[shortodom]

1 % beat 99% this time, lol


Quote:
Ron Artest will exercise his Kings option to become a free agent; Lakers, Spurs and Mavs figure to be most fervent suitors.

Via: http://www.nypost.com/seven/06242008/sp ... htm?page=2

[pillwenney]

1 % beat 99% this time, lol


Quote:
Ron Artest will exercise his Kings option to become a free agent; Lakers, Spurs and Mavs figure to be most fervent suitors.

Via: http://www.nypost.com/seven/06242008/sp ... htm?page=2

Not encouraging, but I'll wait until somebody besides Peter freaking Vescey reports it.

[Ballings7]

I'm indifferent to whether he opts out or not (only because of the Spurs possibility)

In the case he would opt out, I'd prefer to see him not go to the Lakers and Mavs, though with the Lakers, I would like that he'd be in a terrific situation. With Dallas, he''ll be in a winning situation, but not as good as other.

I don't think the Lakers have as good of a chance to get him as the Spurs, the Lakers have to do a lot of roster work at SF, and actually a more true kind of a role-player I think is a better fit for them (shooter and defender), and would allow more minutes to go around. Ariza/Walton/Odom/Radmanovic all at SF, two of them (Walton/Radmanovic) are on multi-year deals. Think Vujacic being FA and going over the cap could be factors also.

[Smills91]

I'm indifferent to whether he opts out or not (only because of the Spurs possibility)

In the case he would opt out, I'd prefer to see him not go to the Lakers and Mavs, though with the Lakers, I would like that he'd be in a terrific situation. With Dallas, he''ll be in a winning situation, but not as good as other.

I don't think the Lakers have as good of a chance to get him as the Spurs, the Lakers have to do a lot of roster work at SF, and actually a more true kind of a role-player I think is a better fit for them (shooter and defender), and would allow more minutes to go around. Ariza/Walton/Odom/Radmanovic all at SF, two of them (Walton/Radmanovic) are on multi-year deals. Think Vujacic being FA and going over the cap could be factors also.

WTF dude that CAN'T be a good situation. It's the DAMN lakers. THE F****** Lakers. Don't ever blaspheme like that again, thank you and good day.

[pillwenney]

There was also yet another article in the Bee this morning where Ron's agent said he won't opt out. I'll take that over "sources" from Peter Vescey.

[Ballings7]

WTF dude that CAN'T be a good situation. It's the DAMN lakers. THE F****** Lakers. Don't ever blaspheme like that again, thank you and good day.

lol

Whether you're serious at all (and I think you probably are), as much as I don't root for them, I do respect what they've done, and what they are probably going to be, for years to come. Just can't deny that, as much as anybody dislikes/hates them. I also enjoy watching them play basketball as a fan of the game.

Adding Artest would be absolutely ridiculous in multiple ways, and I'd prefer that doesn't happen. I'm also not quite expecting it to, either.

There was also yet another article in the Bee this morning where Ron's agent said he won't opt out. I'll take that over "sources" from Peter Vescey.

Indeed.

[shyn3]

Would you guys resign Artest at about $40M over 5 years, and send him to Toronto for Joey Graham, Andrea Bargnani, and Jamario Moon, maybe throw in Kenny Thomas but I don't think the Raptors have enough salary to send back to make that happen. Andrea is expiring, Moon is on his last year, and Graham is expiring. Andrea has a (Team Option).

[KingInExile]

1 % beat 99% this time, lol


Quote:
Ron Artest will exercise his Kings option to become a free agent; Lakers, Spurs and Mavs figure to be most fervent suitors.

Via: http://www.nypost.com/seven/06242008/sp ... htm?page=2

I'll see you're Idiot Vescey and raise you Sam Amick:

Artest's agent, meanwhile, continued to indicate that his client's future in Sacramento will last at least one more season. Asked if the recent speculation about Artest opting out to join the Lakers or any other championship-caliber team for the midlevel could change his mind in these final stages, Stevens said it wasn't likely.

"I don't think it would be a wise decision to (opt out)," he said. "I don't think it will happen. There's been a lot of stuff on TV about Ron, but we're not listening to any of that."

http://www.sacbee.com/kings/story/1037662.html