Indiana Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh says they will try to trade artest

[ducks]

Pacers to try to trade Artest

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/prin...6741&type=story



INDIANAPOLIS -- Ron Artest wants to be traded, and Indiana Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh said Monday he'll try to do that.

Ron Artest
Small Forward
Indiana Pacers

Profile
2006 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
16 19.4 4.9 2.2 45.992 61.157



Artest said in interviews with various media over the weekend that he wants to be traded, that his past haunts him in Indianapolis and that the team would be better off without him.


Walsh said he didn't like Artest speaking to the media first, but would try to trade him. Walsh said Artest's desire to move on wasn't the only factor in the team's decision.


"This is kind of the last straw of a lot of issues, and it's at the point where we should look for a trade," Walsh said.


He said Artest remains on the roster but is inactive with pay for the rest of the week.


Artest missed 73 games and all the playoffs last season after his suspension by the NBA for triggering the brawl with fans in Detroit.


Artest, who leads the league in steals and is the Pacers' second-leading scorer at 19.4 points a game, has missed the past two games with a sore right wrist. He was not available for comment at Monday's practice.


Indiana is 12-7 and has the second-best record in the Eastern Conference.


"We have a good roster with good players on the roster," Walsh said. "I think they'll appreciate not having this in the middle of their season."

[PM5K]

They should have been smart enough to trade him as soon as possible after the incident in Detroit...