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PBN/Amico: Artest rumor mill keeps on spinning

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  • #1

    PBN/Amico: Artest rumor mill keeps on spinning

    Artest rumor mill keeps on spinning

    http://www.probasketballnews.com/amico_0113.html

    By Sam Amico
    Jan. 13, 2006

    When it comes to trading Ron Artest, the Indiana Pacers are back where they started.

    That’s what NBA front-office types are telling
    ProBasketballNews.com, with the Feb. 23 trading deadline
    just six weeks away.

    According to various reports, the Pacers have been close to
    sending Artest to everyone from the Golden State Warriors to
    Denver Nuggets to both Los Angeles franchises. If there
    were a team on Neptune, you can be sure somebody would
    write that Artest was on his way there -- assuming his salary
    matched that of the intergalactic being for whom he was
    about to be dealt.

    “I’ll tell ya what,” said one NBA general manager. “If it wasn’t
    for Internet rumors, I’m not so sure a post-Michael Jordan
    NBA would even exist.”

    Initially, Artest was headed to the Clippers for Corey
    Maggette. Then that deal reportedly fell through. Then it
    caught fire again. Then several major news outlets reported
    it was dead again -- as Maggette is expected to be sidelined
    several more weeks with a foot injury.

    Today, the best source on a trade between the Pacers and
    Clippers is none other than Al Harrington, who just happens
    to play forward for the Atlanta Hawks. And Harrington has
    insisted it’s a done deal.

    Make sense? Of course not.

    “But logic isn’t always factored into these things,” said another GM. “When you start quoting players about trades, I think it’s safe to say you’ve exhausted all your resources.”



    Somewhere between all the Artest-to-the-Clippers talk was a report that said he was headed to Denver, for Nene and Earl Watson. That too seems to have cooled, with the Warriors emerging as the latest rumored frontrunner.



    “I’m not so sure (Artest) isn’t still going to Denver,” the first GM said. “I think people just got tired of talking about it, so they moved on to something else.”



    That something else is possible trades involving the Hornets or the Warriors or yes, the Lakers. In fact, one of the deals that mentioned the Lakers was reported on this very Web site two weeks ago by yours truly.



    But the GM who provided the scenario has since backtracked, saying, “Toronto is completely uninterested in helping (the Lakers) get Artest. So are a lot of other teams, for that matter. And the truth is, as badly as the Lakers want Artest, they have little chance of pulling off a deal without at least one other team helping them out.”



    Does that mean the Lakers have exited the Artest sweepstakes?



    “Not at all,” the GM said. “If they don’t wind up getting him, it sure won’t be for a lack of trying.”



    In fact, the Lakers are now reportedly dangling everyone on the roster -- with the exceptions of Kobe Bryant and promising rookie center Andrew Bynum. Unfortunately for them, Bynum could be the player whom Indiana covets most.



    Then there’s the Warriors.



    It appears they are willing to part with Troy Murphy, clearing the way for prized rookie Ike Diogu to take the majority of minutes at power forward. Problem is, the Pacers also seem to be more intrigued by Diogu than Murphy.



    “Right now, the Pacers probably aren’t going to get what they’re asking for,” said the first GM. “That sort of puts them in a little bit of a pickle. But maybe no more than anyone else.



    “If you ask me, it all seems like a lot of fuss for a guy who has played about 20 in the past two years combined.”



    The Artest Contenders



    A list of teams most likely to land Ron Artest, according to discussions PBN.com has had with league executives:



    • Warriors: Golden State is willing to part with anyone from Murphy to Mike Dunleavy to Mickael Pietrus to a few other “throw-in” types. GM’s comment: “Expect the Pacers to ask for Diogu until the last minute, then settle for Murphy and someone like (Adonal) Foyle.”



    • Lakers: L.A. wants Artest -- bad. The Lakers are placing numerous daily calls to make a deal happen, almost becoming less NBA franchise and more telemarketing firm. GM’s comment: “Funny thing is, the Pacers originally wanted Lamar Odom and the Lakers said no. Then the Lakers said OK to Odom, and suddenly the Pacers don’t want him anymore. No matter, the Lakers are far from out of it. If they do get (Artest), they’ll probably have to wait until the middle of February.”



    • Nuggets: The Pacers were indeed talking to Denver about Nene and Earl Watson. Those discussions reportedly stopped when they heard Kenyon Martin was on the market. He’s not. GM’s comment: “I’m ready to believe an Indiana-Denver trade is dead, but I know as soon as I say it is, they’ll make a trade. Either way, it’s highly doubtful they’re still talking about Watson.”



    • Timberwolves: All of the trade talk has surrounded Wally Szczerbiak -- as usual. But Szczerbiak makes $3.5 million a year more than Artest, so somebody like Scot Pollard or Jeff Foster will need to be included from the Pacers’ end. GM’s comment: “The thing that makes it so hard to believe is Szczerbiak has been the focus of trade rumors since he set foot in Minnesota, yet he’s still there. And you have to wonder why they would risk trading him when he’s having a career year. It would be very risky, because they very well could win that lousy division and earn a top three seed (in the Western Conference playoffs).”



    • Hornets: The scuttlebutt has New Orleans/Oklahoma City sending Speedy Claxton, Arvydas Macijauskas, Jackson Vroman and its top draft pick to Indiana for Artest and Anthony Johnson. GM’s comment: “If the Pacers made this trade, I would demand a congressional hearing. With all the stuff that’s being offered, no way is this the best they can do.”
    "I'll always be a part of Donnie Walsh."
    -Ron Artest, Denver Post, 12.28.05
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: PBN/Amico: Artest rumor mill keeps on spinning

    Whatever GM said we'd settle for Murphy/Foyle has no business being a GM.

    So, we've turned down:

    Maggette
    Odom
    Ricky Davis
    Kenyon Martin

    So far? I really hope we're not setting ourselves up to be lowballed later.

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: PBN/Amico: Artest rumor mill keeps on spinning

      Originally posted by Shade
      Whatever GM said we'd settle for Murphy/Foyle has no business being a GM.

      So, we've turned down:

      Maggette
      Odom
      Ricky Davis
      Kenyon Martin

      So far? I really hope we're not setting ourselves up to be lowballed later.
      With just Odom and Maggette being turned down, we're going to regret that later, and I hope that I am wrong about that.

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: PBN/Amico: Artest rumor mill keeps on spinning

        We better not have said no to Odom.

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: PBN/Amico: Artest rumor mill keeps on spinning

          we wont get lowballed bird and walsh are obviously content with not tradin him...if we turned them down we are obviously showing that we want something big for him, and some desperate team (warriors, hornets) will throw in more like possibly diogu

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: PBN/Amico: Artest rumor mill keeps on spinning

            Also dont beleive none of this this dude, Sam Amico doesnt know anything. Remember the done deal with the Pacers and Lakers for Deven George.Please.

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: PBN/Amico: Artest rumor mill keeps on spinning

              I have to believe that if the Lakers offer Odom for Artest+(Foster or Johnson) -- while the Pacers don't want to take on his large salary -- we would get a third team involved that would want Odom and be willing to send us the young players and draft picks we are after.

              Someone's not doing the legwork!
              "I'll always be a part of Donnie Walsh."
              -Ron Artest, Denver Post, 12.28.05

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: PBN/Amico: Artest rumor mill keeps on spinning

                Originally posted by dagrubbs
                we wont get lowballed bird and walsh are obviously content with not tradin him...if we turned them down we are obviously showing that we want something big for him, and some desperate team (warriors, hornets) will throw in more like possibly diogu

                I want Diogu and Peitrus(sp).

                Comment

                • #9
                  Re: PBN/Amico: Artest rumor mill keeps on spinning

                  I really have 100% confidence in DW and LB, I really do. If they have turned down all these guys then maybe we'll get Lebron James or Wade. Who knows.

                  Yes this is a little frustrating, but also facinating

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Re: PBN/Amico: Artest rumor mill keeps on spinning

                    "Then the Lakers said OK to Odom, and suddenly the Pacers don’t want him anymore."


                    That's good news if the meaning is that Granger is the now and future starting Small Forward. Granger's play the past month has changed thinking, as it should have; kudos to LB and DW for changing course. And as someone else mentioned, Odom can be used to get who/what we want.

                    And that should be a quality, starting shooting guard. And, unless Maggette is looking at a career-ending or -threatening injury, I would take Maggette right now (even if we need to wait until next year, as long as he will be 100% by then). Absent that, then Paul Pierce, maybe Szczerbiak (Ray Allen?).

                    I like the way we are playing now, the ball movement, Granger's play, Harrison playing, the apparent shift away from dumping the rock into Jermaine for him to go 1 on 5. I am happy to take our chances with this group if need be.

                    Put a healthy Maggette at the 2 (in March?) and a healthy Tinsley (ever ?) back sometime, and I think we are back in business.

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Re: PBN/Amico: Artest rumor mill keeps on spinning

                      Just because we said no to Odom doesn't mean he's now unavailable. I'm sure if we change our minds, the Lakers would gladly still trade him.
                      Don't ask Marvin Harrison what he did during the bye week. "Batman never told where the Bat Cave is," he explained.

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Re: PBN/Amico: Artest rumor mill keeps on spinning

                        We should not have turned down Odom. Did you see the game he played last night? This guy matches up with Prince when we play the Pistons and is a mismatch when we play the Heat. Face it, Jack will struggle on offense when he has to cover a Kobe, LeBron, Rip,Pierce, T-Mac. Monday will prove this point when we play the Nets and he covers Carter. We need to address this by getting a versatile 3 who can play a little 4 and won't take too many Granger minutes. We could play small and get them both minutes. Croshere would probably be the odd man out. Granger will be perfect for about 20-25 minutes a night come playoff time.

                        Odom or Air France. Nothing else will put us on Detroit's level.

                        Comment

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