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Artest for Udrih.... STRAIGHT UP
2030 INDIANAPOLIS - Ron Artest has accepted that he's played his last game for the Indiana Pacers, his agent said.
Artest went public nearly three weeks ago with his desire to be traded, then backpedaled and apologized to his teammates and to management in hopes of staying with the team. But his campaign to stay seemed to end after Pacers president Larry Bird told The Indianapolis Star on Monday that he felt "betrayed" by Artest.
"After Larry Bird's statements, we realize that this wound is unhealable," Mark Stevens, Artest's agent, told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
The Pacers welcomed Artest back after his suspension for last season's brawl with Detroit Pistons fans that cost him 73 regular-season games and the playoffs.
Artest said during the offseason that his goal was to help the Pacers to a championship this season, and he wasn't concerned with individual goals. He changed his tune during this season's early weeks by saying he wasn't getting enough shots. He also said that his past haunts him in Indianapolis and the team would be better off without him.
Bird called Artest, the NBA leader in steals per game and Indiana's second-leading scorer at 19 points per game, a "top 12 player in the league." The 6-foot-7, 260-pound forward is a former All-Star and Defensive Player of the Year. But Bird said Artest's public request for a trade was too much for Indiana to overlook.
Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh said Wednesday the team had narrowed its options down from about 10 teams this week. He wouldn't say when a trade would occur.
Artest has been inactive since his trade request, which came after he was injured against Dallas on Dec. 6.
"I'm not putting a timetable on it," Walsh said. "These things aren't that easy to work out."
Stevens said Bird and Walsh control Artest's future.
"There is a large interest in him. However, it has to be a glove," Stevens said. "It has to fit for the Pacers. We're just waiting to sit down and have a meeting of the minds."
In the meantime, Artest is working out and spending time with his family in case he has to make a quick move.
Stevens said though he understands the Pacers' desire to trade Artest, he's disappointed that his client's apologies to teammates and management didn't change the situation.
"What's more complicated is when you feel sorrowful for the things you have said and there's no room for amends," Stevens said. "Now, we're moving past that."
Artest says he is done
Artest for Udrih.... STRAIGHT UP
^^ yeah right.
Barry, Oberto, Udrih.
DO IT.
i'l throw in scola/javotkas
Bird says he feels betrayed by Ron's "request" for a trade.
Bird is being a bit of a hypocrite, and perhaps wrongly villifying Ron with those words, considering the context of Ron's comments, and the reported truth behind the desire to move Artest. Artest "request" to be traded was in responce to what insiders insist was true reports that the Pacers were busy shopping Ron, and that they had been for several weeks.
There is no denying that Ron is a highly emotional individual, but the Pacers certainly know everything about and his battle with Manic Depression. His responce was one of frayed emotions and hurt, after he felt betrayed by the Pacers were trying to trade him, after they have always maintained they were going to stand behind him to the end. Since Bird knows Ron's emotional state and his medical condition, he is shamfull for letting Ron take the fall as the villian, if he is really hiding the truth of who firts "betrayed" whom.
This is not to say that the Pacers don't have a right, and even a very good reason to move Ron based upon his past, and fear for his future. However Bird should come clean if it is true the Pacers had already determined they would side in a growing rift between Artest and J-O'neal over the role each would play in the their offense, and were already actively shopping Ron.
We would give them Darko for him. He could back up Prince.
darko?
oberto?
barry?
why are people offering scrubs for a superstar?
artest will break out in the right system.
you have to give up a potential super to get him.
bird ain't stupid folks.
and i'm still looking for him to deal with minny and mchale if the spurs don't get lucky.
They should have gotten rid of this guy in 2004 when he went bananas on Hamilton during the playoffs and got T'd killing any chances the Pacers had of winning that game, just like he went bananas the year before against the Celtics and the Pacers got upset. Now I'm supposed to feel sorry for the guy cause he has problems, he also has an agent, and I would think some kind of support group and a lot of money, and the Pacers have to take the rap cause he didn't get help?
How do you protect a guy from himself? No, the Pacers actually took to long to get rid of him, at least now, they are on the right track and can move on.
It was a joke no way would we let Darko go for that cancer.
Salaries have to match, which is why the "scrub for superstar" talk is going down (though in my mind he's not a superstar).
Artest makes about 6.9 million this season I think, so the Spurs would have to match contracts or at least come close.
How in the can Pop find enough minutes and shots for him when we already have Finley, Manu, and Bowen (if Barry leaves)? Not a chance.
By getting Artest, the Spurs will have make room for 35 minutes a night, at least. With the roster we have, that's not a possibility. Bowen's and Manu's minutes would have to go down a lot and so would Finley's. I'm sure Pop's not even thinking about trading for Artest.
Does a certain players personal minutes and stats matter? Manu and Mike are comfortable with doing whatever is neccessary for the team to win.
That being said, Artest is a long SF, and defensive minded. I'm sure Pop has thought about him.
I wouldn't really want him though.
I saw this on a Mavs board. Not sure how realiable the site with the source is but here it is.
http://probasketballnews.com./pbnnews_1229.html
Source: Artest looks to be bound for L.A.
By Sam Amico
Dec. 28, 2005
Indiana is nearing a three-team trade that would send swingman Ron Artest to the Los Angeles Lakers, a league source has told ProBasketballNews.com.
Meanwhile, Lakers forward Devean George would end up in Indiana.
The third team involved in the proposed trade is the Toronto Raptors, according to the source. The Raptors would send Jalen Rose to Los Angeles -- and in return receive Pacers forward Austin Croshere and at least one player from the Lakers.
The source added that George and an undetermined player from the Raptors -- or perhaps a draft pick -- would be to dealt to the Pacers.
"Basically, it's Artest for Devean George, with the Raptors getting involved to make it work financially," the source said. "When and if it happens, this will be a trade that consists of plenty of throw-ins."
Three weeks ago, Artest told the Indianapolis Star that he wanted to be traded. He later apologized to his teammates and told management he would like to remain with the team. But Pacers president Larry Bird told The Indianapolis Star on Monday that he felt "betrayed" by Artest, and said the Pacers will indeed trade him.
Artest has been inactive since his comments about wanting to be traded, which came after he was injured against Dallas on Dec. 6. Since then, the Pacers have been flooded with trade requests.
Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh told the Associated Press on Wednesday the team had narrowed its options down from about 10 teams this week, but did not indicate when a trade might occur.
Artest averaged 19.4 points and 4.9 rebounds through 16 games this season. He was suspended for 73 games last year after the well-do ented brawl during a game in Detroit.
Croshere is averaging 8.1 points and 6.3 rebounds for the Pacers, while Rose is scoring 9.6 points in just 25 minutes per game -- his lowest averages in both categories in nine seasons.
George is also near his career lows in scoring (5.6 ppg) and field-goal percentage (38 percent).
The source said he was not given a timetable as to when the proposed trade might take place. "I hear they are very close to finalizing everything, he said, "but it sounds like there are a few kinks that still need to be worked out."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
If Ron Artest truly didn't want to be traded, then he should've kept his mouth SHUT about the subject to begin with!
What a dumbass he is...
And after all of Dennis Rodman's bull Pop had to put up with for two seasons, be VERY surprised if the Spurs end up with Ron Artest!
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