12:00 PST has passed

[RIPskaterdude]

And Artest is still a King! Hooray! We didn't trade him for Najera + 1st, serves you right Denver

[jeffjtk1234]

thats not entirely true yet...deals can get announced hours after the deadline

[KingInExile]

Wait, I just heard that we traded Artest to NY for Jerome James!!!!

[ICMTM]

I head he got traded for a Scoshe's Special...Man I want a chicken & waffle!

[RIPskaterdude]

Wait, I just heard that we traded Artest to NY for Jerome James!!!!

You promised not to tell!

[SacKingZZZ]

Well this isn't good but the Nuggets a freaking dumb, that's for sure. If all they had to do is add Kleiza to that package they are clueless.

[SacKingZZZ]

Oh and unfortunately the Bibby deal looks more and more like a move to merely get under the tax next year. Less and less like a rebuilding move, we needed open minutes for other players and now that won't happen.

I do like Ron saying how he is going to take Shelden under his wing however. That is a very positive thing, regardless of what anyone thinks about the man, he is a great father figure from what I have seen and is great with the young players.

[SacKingZZZ]

Hahaha, now it all begins to make more sense! I am glad I am not a Nuggets fan.

From the bee:

"Kleiza isn't just a player for Denver, but part of the ownership's family. Stan Kroenke has known Kleiza since his days at Missouri, when he was a teammate and close friend of Kroenke's son, Josh. The Nuggets traded for Kleiza, a 6-foot-8 Lithuanian, on draft day in 2005 and watched him develop into a terrific young player.
'There's a feeling from ownership that,

[pillwenney]

I think, depending on where the tax is next year, and depending on Kevin's salary, that there's a chance that we may be able to S&T Ron for a package just barely within the 125% rule (in other words, 75% of Ron's starting salary), re-sign Beno and sign our draft pick while....well maybe barely going over the cap.

[SadKingsFan]

Props to Geoff petrie for sticking to his guns and not doing a deal with anyone unless he got a good young player, will be a very interesting offseason especially come draft time...cant wait.

[SacKingZZZ]

I am not really mad at Petrie, just the circumstances. A sign and trade won't get us much and the bummer is I don't think we can trade Ron on draft night to get a pick, so we'll either have to take whatever said team has, or make the biggest mistake we can and sign Ron long term. That would set this team back another few years if they do. 12 or 13th picks, and buried youngsters will be in our future for quite some time.

I just hope when we are pretty much out of the playoff race in a few weeks they actually start giving the young players major minutes. We already kind of screwed ourselves into an end of the lotto pick, lets just hope we can fill a need with that.

[ICMTM]

I told y'all about two months ago someone had to be traded so we wouldn't be paying taxes and I said it would probably be Mike Bibby.

[SacKingZZZ]

Uh, well trading Mike or Ron was a forgone conclusion. You knew at least one had to go. Even Brad if the price was right. It's just too bad we couldn't strengthen ourselves further in the direction of a rebuild.

We still don't look like a true rebuilding team yet. It's been way to long, and like I said last summer, that was the time to trade Artest/Bibby. Petrie waited to give the team a last shot and missed the boat entirely. Could have sent Bibby/Artest to Miami for their pick most likely (I know, I know, who could have seen that coming right?) or have gotten more for them then.

We just better hope Shelden turns into something real nice and gets a chance to show what he can to otherwise Geoff's rep is going to take a few more hits.

[pillwenney]

Uh, well trading Mike or Ron was a forgone conclusion. You knew at least one had to go. Even Brad if the price was right. It's just too bad we couldn't strengthen ourselves further in the direction of a rebuild.

We still don't look like a true rebuilding team yet. It's been way to long, and like I said last summer, that was the time to trade Artest/Bibby. Petrie waited to give the team a last shot and missed the boat entirely. Could have sent Bibby/Artest to Miami for their pick most likely (I know, I know, who could have seen that coming right?) or have gotten more for them then.

We just better hope Shelden turns into something real nice and gets a chance to show what he can to otherwise Geoff's rep is going to take a few more hits.

It was Mike all along because of his salary. We weren't going to be able to package Ron with Kenny, so we couldn't really save any money there.

But the big point is that ultimately, how much is another low 20's pick going to strengthen our rebuild? We don't need more nice role players, we need another great young player. Spencer could be a great player. Kevin more or less, is a great player, but I really think we need someone else. I think Shelden will be a really solid player, but nothing more. Cisco, Salmons and Beno will all be really good (and let's not forget that Salmons is basically in his prime and that Cisco isn't too far off), but we need another big time guy. I'm pretty sure that we weren't going to get that with Denver's pick.

As for Miami, not only would they have been a better team with Mike, and especially with Ron, they would be smart enough to put protection on their pick. Only the Knicks are dumb enough to not do that.

As for possible S&T options, the following teams should have ample expirings to get something interesting done next year.

Atlanta (obviously unlikely)
Cleveland
Houston (possibly)
Clippers
Lakers
Miami (Marion, but still)
New Jersey (if Krstic is done, but even then, it would obviously be unlikely)
New York
Philly (granted they'll also have cap space to go after him)
Portland (again, highly unlikely, but still)
Seattle (again...)
Toronto

Outside of that there are other possibilities. Maybe Nene shows that he's healthy, but Denver would be interested in trading him for a newly signed Ron.

[Ballings7]

Not surprsied at all Ron's staying. As I said, something legit had to come up, and nothing serious ever really emerged. Except maybe with the Spurs.

Also, just didn't quite expect Denver to give up Kleiza, there was more siding to keeping him in the front-office. Also getting Ron wouldn't of put Denver up a level as a contending team. Keeping Kleiza allows for continuity and as one one of their 2 or 3 guys who can shoot out to three pretty well. One of them in JR Smith who is clutch, but very streaky, and doesn't have solid shot selection. Keeping Najera as well for depth and interior work, can hit jumpshots, and the occasional three.

Giving up Kleiza (or Smith) AND Najera, their 3PT shooting only would of gotten worse than what it already is as a team - which is not even average!

Always thought it was going to be Bibby going back to last summer because of the value difference and consensus on the league, and Mike had more possible destinations than Ron.

[_SRV_]

I never understood the point of Petrie wanting Kleiza, and what buffled me more is Denver actually insisting on him although SKZZZ post clarifies it.
I'm happy we took care of cap space next offseason, and happy we kept Artest.

[Smills91]

I'm probably in the minority here, but I'm as content as can be that ARtest wasn't traded. I hope and think that'll he'll be re-signed to a 4-5 year deal. I don't see a SnT happening this summer. Teams had their shot and BLEW IT.

[sackings916]

I want Ron to retire as a King as well. Artest still has about 4 seasons or so of playing at a high level. Martin keeps getting better, along with Cisco and Douby and hopefully Shelden Williams turns into a legit defensive presence, I love what Hawes has shown so far and think he will be one of the better centers in the L in a few years, a few lottery picks and a big FA signing and we can be contenders in a few years.

[BMiller52]

I'm probably in the minority here, but I'm as content as can be that ARtest wasn't traded. I hope and think that'll he'll be re-signed to a 4-5 year deal. I don't see a SnT happening this summer. Teams had their shot and BLEW IT.

I just wanted Lue traded

[deNIEd]

I want Ron to retire as a King as well. Artest still has about 4 seasons or so of playing at a high level. Martin keeps getting better, along with Cisco and Douby and hopefully Shelden Williams turns into a legit defensive presence, I love what Hawes has shown so far and think he will be one of the better centers in the L in a few years, a few lottery picks and a big FA signing and we can be contenders in a few years.

These do not coexist.

Look at my other thread. Let's say Artest has 4 more years in him, Hawes will be 23. He hasn't shown the promise of becoming an elite center soon, so he may be good by 23, but not great. Our draft picks will all be middle picks, so no players that can come and make an immediate impact ex.(Horford, Durant, LeBron, Wade type players, but instead will take a few years or so). 08 we can't sign anyone. 09 there's very few people to sign, Brand, Marion, Odom. Marion and Odom aren't a "big FA". Brand maybe, but do we want to sign brand to a multiyear contract at hte age of 31? His deal wouldn't run out until he is 36? And it will be a near max deal?!!

So the soonest we can sign a big name FA, would be '10 or '11. By then Artest will be 31 or 32. Give another 2 years for the team to gel together and put together missing pieces, and Artest will be at 33-34.