Agent: Artest Likely To Stay (Article)

[Thomas82]

Agent: Artest Likely To Stay

Kings small forward Ron Artest still could opt out of his contract by the June 30 deadline. But according to his agent, he is unlikely to do so considering it could mean taking a pay cut as a free agent.

"If he opts out, it's obvious we're looking at a midlevel exception deal (approximately $6 million per season)," Mark Stevens said. "Ron fully understands that if he opts out, he runs the risk of Sacramento saying, OK, opt out, you can leave, and we won't get nothing for you, or we can do a sign and trade.

"Or Ron runs the risk of knowing he's open to the free market and he might get midlevel exception. All the cards are definitely on the table."

Numerous teams over the salary cap are left with only the midlevel exception to offer. With Artest set to make $7.4 million in the final season of his contract, he continued to speak as if staying in Sacramento next season is likely.

"I'm not even thinking like I'm about to opt out or go somewhere else," he told The Bee on Friday. "I'm still here as a King.

"If I'm going to be here, I'd rather do what I'm doing now and stick with the game plan. Nothing (in terms of negotiations for a future contract) can happen until July 1 anyway. We'll definitely consider if the Kings come talking to us."

The prospect of taking a midlevel deal is far from Stevens' initial benchmark. He said in February he envisioned Artest as a player worth about $13 million per season.

Although Stevens said Artest is the team's best player and should be paid as such, he's unsure whether Kings co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof will agree when the time for negotiating arrives.

Stevens said Artest remains loyal to the Kings for facilitating his career resurrection in Sacramento after being traded to the team in January 2006.

"That's why him opting out at this point is not even an option," Stevens said. "He wants to first go to the table and see if he can get a deal done. He would love to be in Sacramento."

Unless, of course, he changes his mind between now and the end of June.

"If he decides he can wait another year, then we wait another year," Stevens said. "If he decides he can't, then we have to express that and see if we can get something done and take it from there."


http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/990252.html

[E20]

Ron is already rich, a couple of millions and come to SA for the MLE.

[MoSpur]

It all comes down to money most of the time.

[angelbelow]

It all comes down to money most of the time.

yea it does, this is what i love about the spurs, maintaining contendership while being under the tax (or just barely over.) but sometimes i do wish we would just pay the tax and improve our roster because it would do wonders.

[SPURSGOAT]

Yea sux! He probably would not come here anyhow... he loves Kobe so would probably have went to the Fakers if anything....

[Thomas82]

Ron is already rich, a couple of millions and come to SA for the MLE.

That would prove how bad he wants a championship.