Keep eye on Sac/Artest to LA rumor

[Las Vegas Asian]

I don't think the Maloofs would want to deal with the Lakers in fear of it coming back to bite them since their in the same division. Even if it makes economic sense I don't know if I make that trade just for that reason alone.

Ron Artest to LA could be like Rodman going to the Bulls. We all know what that started. 

[screwedupmaniac]

The rumored deal would be lamar odom for ron artest...if we thought that the restoration of the C's Lakers' rivalry this year was good, how much better would it be with P2's arch enemy playing for them?

oh, and for bragging rights, i called this deal while watching one of the finals games with my friends...if this deal happens, i'm 2 for like, 1,000 (haha) on trade ideas and predictions before they happened, the first being the ricky for wally trade...i don't even know where that idea came from haha.

still, 2 for 1,000 is better than the percentage for most of these NBA analysts 

[Kwhit10]

I do not want to see the Lakers get Artest.  He is the perfect compliment to strong offensive players, he just wreaks havoc doing lots of pesky things.

[tb727]

Kings have no love-lost for the Lakers- I doubt they'd try to deal Artest to a divsion-rival, let alone possibly give them the missing piece to put them over the top.

If the Kings are going to deal Artest, I feel the Lakers would be one of the last teams he'd go to...

[greg_kite]

Artest is also a "fan" of Kobe.  He interviewed him on TNT or ESPN during the playoffs and he seemed to idolize Kobe.  I think if anyone can make Artest listen it would probably be Kobe.  Those guys along with Gasol, Bynum and Fisher would make the best frontline in the NBA.  If Bynum is still hurt and they keep Turiaf then the starting lineup would still be pretty decent with Turiaf at the 4 and Gasol at the 5.

Who's analysis of the trade for Sacramento was well crafted too.  This could be a win for both sides if Artest isn't a total headcase.

And if LA beats Boston next year in the Finals at least it would be a rivalry again.  I could live with that (only since we won this year).  Getting to the Finals again would be great.

[12417]

Artest and Kobe together. Although Artest reportedly has a man crush on Kobe they are both Alpha dogs. The first time Kobe scolds Artest during a timeout Artest will whip his a**. I'd love this trade from a Laker hater standpoint. Kobe can't play with another Alpha, at least at this point in his career. He's matured some but not to that point.

[celt4ever]

Let's also not forget that Lakers can match the offer for Turiaf can be matched. Also if you watched the finals games except ofr few moments here and there Odom looked lost and could not defend anyone.  I would grab Artest if he is available.

that's true not few moments a couple of game odom looked like out of his game the celtics did a great job not letting him go inside the basket.the lakers see that that i think the are triing to do the trade no metter what

[Brendan]

I agree Artest is, talent-wise, a upgrade over Odom is most aspects.  Artest can really play the game.  That said, I would not trade a used bag of balls for him.  Too much baggage, too many potential problems.  Look at it this way - think of the most notorious problam guys in terms of character (particularly off the court) in the last decade or so: Spree, Artest, Barkley (maybe), Jackson, Telfair (maybe), Iverson (maybe), Kemp, Baker, Randolf, Bozi Wells, etc. (these are off the top of my head, and the "maybes" depend on one's own perspective).  What have they won?  Nothing.  I think there is a reason for that.

One response is that 'Sheed won, and maybe that is valid, but he really celaned up his off-the-court stuff by the time he won.  Perhaps it doesn't make a difference, but I see that over and over again, the cohesive teams with few off-the-court character issues are the winners.  Doesn't there have to be something to that?

This is one of the best examples of cherry picking I've ever scene.

1. Barkley, Kemp, Iverson, and I think Spree all went to the finals at some point in their careers, they just happened to face dynasties in the 2000 era LAL and 90s era Bulls. You could say the same thing for alleged do gooders Stockton and Malone.
2. Sheed did win - can't discount it.
3. How do you make a list of head cases and leave off the indisputed leader: Dennis Rodman, he only has 5 more rings than most people.
4. I believe Jackson won a ring with SA early in his career (Stephen Jackson right?)
5. Telfair? How does he even fit here - I think his problem is talent not attitude, but even still he's been in the league four year.

I think Artest is a fine move. Don't let the stupidity of signing look Walton prevent you from making the right move. Just tell Luke, you are going to bench him indefinitely, and then offer a buyout. LAL can afford it, and I don't think they'll be under the cap soon making moves. They will need a backup big man still - but who doesn't - and they'll still have the full MLE to use to get it. The traingle is built upon ball movement leading to isolation play, which is what Artest does. He'll be functional passing - not a creator, but that's all they'd need.

Farmar / Fisher
Kobe / Sasha
Artest / Vlad
Gasol / Walton
Bynum / Mihm

Certainly its a team that has room for improvement, really at the guard spot and backup C/PF spot. Sounds familar. If they weren't p[aying JAckson a billion dollars and it being such a risk to bring in a new coach to deal with Kobe - then Jackson could be improved at this point, he seems disinterested at best.

[jdub1660]

Turiaf's Golden State offer sheet will NOT be matched. Lakers don't want to waste 4 mil a year on a male cheerleader for their bench. As for the Kings dealing Artest...believe it if LA agrees to take Kenny Thomas along for the ride, which sounds great to me. He's a decent defender and has more inside game than Turiaf. Sacramento is trying to free up cap space for the summer of 2010 when the big names come up on free agency(James, Wade, Bosh, co.) I'd love the see the rivalry continued, as an Artest and healthy Bynum would cause problems for Celts next year come Finals time.

[Manzana]

Ron Artest and Kobe Bryant teammates.. hahahahaahhahahahahahahaahahahahaha.....

I don't know why that is funny.  Those are two of the most competitive SOB's in the league.  Artest is the type of player who can change the attitude of that team, which should be scary for the rest of the league.

Competitive or just Alpha Males? Those two together would be worse than Kobe and Shaq. Ron Ron thinks he is the greatest player in the league, Kobe thinks he is the greatest player in the league... Clash of the Titans. Do you think that Ron would take any of the in game yelling crap from Kobe? I don't. If they could co-exsist, they could be a strong duo, but for some reason I don't think the two could do it. You are right, they are very competitive and they will be competing with each other rather than against other teams.

[Manzana]

Artest and Kobe together. Although Artest reportedly has a man crush on Kobe they are both Alpha dogs. The first time Kobe scolds Artest during a timeout Artest will whip his a**. I'd love this trade from a Laker hater standpoint. Kobe can't play with another Alpha, at least at this point in his career. He's matured some but not to that point.

Exactly my thoughts.. I don't care how much man love Artest has for Kobe.. it will all come down to how their personalities crash against each other. First time they have a close game and Artest takes a game-closing shot and misses, it will be unhappy times in LA. Or when Kobe misses a last second shot with Ron-Ron wide open in a corner.. fireworks. Hell, if they can put that aside.. then yeah, it could be dangerous.

[BCelts]

Artest and Kobe together. Although Artest reportedly has a man crush on Kobe they are both Alpha dogs. The first time Kobe scolds Artest during a timeout Artest will whip his a**. I'd love this trade from a Laker hater standpoint. Kobe can't play with another Alpha, at least at this point in his career. He's matured some but not to that point.

I;m in agreement.  Count me as a serious doubter that a team with Artest can ever play together well enough to become greater than the sum of its parts and win the championship.

[Brendan]

What if LAL and SAC expanded the trade:

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=2426~3002~549~617~2027~25~556~849&teams=23~23~23~23~23~13~13~13&te=&cash=

Artest, Miller, Thomas for Odom, Farmar, Walton, Ariza, and Mihm. LAL probably sends some cash (to offset Luke) and whatever picks they can to balance it out.

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=3227~1021~25~556~849~2426~3002~549~617~2027&teams=13~23~13~13~13~23~23~23~23~2&te=&cash=

We could pick up Luke Walton - who I don't really like, but his bigger contract might be more useful in trades. (He's basically an over paid Ryan Gomes.)

[timepiece33]

Artest and Kobe together. Although Artest reportedly has a man crush on Kobe they are both Alpha dogs. The first time Kobe scolds Artest during a timeout Artest will whip his a**. I'd love this trade from a Laker hater standpoint. Kobe can't play with another Alpha, at least at this point in his career. He's matured some but not to that point.

I;m in agreement.  Count me as a serious doubter that a team with Artest can ever play together well enough to become greater than the sum of its parts and win the championship.

The Lakers need a perimeter defender in the worst way.  They can NOT go into the season with Odom and Gasol as their 3 and 4.  They'll get killed defensively.   

[jdub1660]

This would be good and bad for us.  The good part is that makes LA a much better team (Artest is an upgrade over Odom, and gives them the toughness they need, and Kenny Thomas is a nice player off the bench).  The good part is it takes LA out of the running for Posey.

Posey is out anyways, so I say take the trade. With losing Turiaf, Kthomas could take his minutes, plus he has a better inside game. And Artest would fit better in the triangle better than Odom. The idea of Artest, Kobe, Fisher, Gasol and Bynum starting sounds sick on paper. Maybe that's why The Geoff brothers haven't pulled the trigger yet.