Supposedly he's close to a deal with the Lakers.  He may be a good player, but who needs this nutcase?  Which probably also means they are letting TA go.. so sad

unless he is really fucking with them.

unless you look at his shooting percentage, but that would be smoothed out by him not being the #1 option in LA.

See my post on the thread below why I think it would work...as much as I am suicidal about the thought.

Of course, if this all happens and the Lakers keep winning, this means I am going to have to keep  kissing your ass on here.  Guess there are worse things.

we will have to console each other when you are here.

Rrrowl!

I'm more worried about how many times the nutcase will get tossed out of the game.  I suppose if Rodman could win, Artest can too, after all.  

I just don't get why Ariza would want to go to Houston for only 1 mil more, only to end up in a most likely dead team next season.

He feels like he needs to have a chance to be more of "the man".  If he's lucky, he will seize his chance and it will be warranted.  But more fail than succeed.  We'll see where he lands.

For someone who didn't even want to be a starter, I wouldn't call it a ego.  Greater responsibility, maybe.  But it may be more to do with how Lakers and Artest liked each other.  Reminds me of when Karl Malone and Gary Payton joined the Lakers, but hopefully with a better result.

He knew he didn't want to be a starter with the lineup they have in LA.  Once he "kind of" became on by years end, though, and was in the playoffs, I think he needed to take the plunge to see if he could be more of the man.

You know, the one and only thing I hated about the Lakers losing in 2004 was that The Mailman didn't get a ring.  He was so close...only to be swatted away by MJ.

get a lot more playing time.

-- Modified on 7/3/2009 6:30:18 AM

but f**k Trevor Ariza (and his agent).

I am sick and tired of arrogant players (and agents)that read their own press clippings.

C'mon folks, Ariza had a breakout season that may not have been repeated. Good player but not good enough to hold the Lakers hostage. Ariza is probably about to find out about "quality of life". Another million or two will not change his lifstyle...but playing for a loser will dramatically change his life. Playing for a loser may even make him look worse for his next contract. Ariza IS NOT a superstar.

A player this young should have stayed with the Lakers, won more championships, and THEN look for the big payday.

Artest has talent and skills that Ariza can only dream about. If anyone can reign in Artest, it is PJ and Kobe. Kupchak is a lot more savvy than most give him credit for. He can now sign Odom and put a helluva team on the floor. If Artest fits in, the 2010 championship is in the bag. Big if.....but it will be fun to watch.

Bottom line.....Ariza made a big mistake and Kupchak filled the hole.

As I said in my post below, Ariza is a NICE player, but certainly not a great player. He will play to the level of his new team, which is average, or maybe slightly above average. He's not going to make the other 4 players around him better. Ariza benefited more from Kobe, Fish, Luke, the guys around him, as opossed to the 4 others benefiting from him.

It was the same agent who was openly complaining when he was negotiating Bynum's new contract.  Lakers were interested in Artest at the same time, so maybe Ariza figures he can't beat him.  I think Ariza has different skills from Artest, but I totally agree about getting more experience.  Bad move.

He did say he'd play for Lakers for nothing.. so we'll see.

He must have heard me, lol.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-plaschke-lakers3-2009jul03,0,1013056.column

You can't call the Lakers soft anymore.

I'm sure ya'll have heard this before, but defense wins championships. Trevor is very good defensively and one of the key reasons why the Lakers won this year. He's the best forward at fighting through screens, good hands, jumps the passing lane, and has tremendous energy.

All that said, Artest is no slacker. Last season, he made the All-Defensive 2nd team. In prior years he made 1st team twice and won the best defensive player award once.

Offensively, there is no comparison. Artest is a much better post up player and like Kobe, can create his own shots.

But his biggest contribution will be in watching Kobe's back. Believe it or not, but Kobe is not the most popular guy in the league. Lol.    

Well, first, I agree Ariza has turned into a very good compimentary player.  But understand, he's had 1 good year.  I think the Lakers were more than fair to offer him a 3 year contract.  I know he got a 5 year from Houston and good for him.  But, I'll say this, when I hear an agent say it's not about the money, thats just BS.  It's all about the money.  Why would you leave a championship team to go to a team that may not even make the playoffs (assuming Yao doesn't play next year)?  Doesn't make sense to me.  For a longer contract and maybe a little more money.  I'm sorry to see him go.  I loved watching him play.  But I think the Lakers were very fair.

I suspect Artest will be on his best behavior.  He has a great chance here to win a championship and he won't have to carry the load at all (assuming Lakers sign Odom which I think they will). PJ, Kobe, and Fish will keep him in line.  No doubt in my mind about that.  If he plays up to standard, the Lakers will be even better.  He can do things that Ariza can't do.

My two centavos.

Bond

You, Rina, on the other hand, are beautiful

The Lakers did not really have a choice.

The Lakers offered Ariza a fair contract. David Lee (his agent) is a short-sighted moron. Take the 3 years in LA, win some rings, and THEN cash in for the REALLY big bucks. Ariza would be 27 after a 3 year deal with LA.

But no, play hardball with the most powerful team in the NBA and then be surprised when they sign someone else.

Who is more delusional? The blustery agent or the player who believed him?

Apparently the agent took it a little too personally, but it was also surprising how quickly Lakers acted.  Artest may be a better player, but it doesn't necessarily equal better for the team.  RIP Ariza.

The agent did not take it personally. As a matter of fact, he probably ignored Ariza's wishes and went for the biggest contract (and more importantly, the biggest COMMISSION) he could get.

His lack of knowledge as to the Laker's options was appalling. He did what was right for himself and took the instant $$$$$$$$.

Really sad, but hey, it is a business.

A source tells HOOPSWORLD that Kupchak was prepared to give Ariza an offer equivalent to the full MLE but at 10.5% raises, totaling at approximately $33.8 million over five years.

LA's ceiling might have been a $6 million starting salary for $36 million over five but before negotiations progressed after 9:00pm Pacific on Tuesday night, the source says that Ariza's agent, David Lee, took a confrontational approach with Kupchak.

Lee wanted a deal in the $50 million range and took offense to the team's stance that Trevor should test the market first for that level of compensation.

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=13174

Ariza supposedly turned down a bigger offer from another team.

Common now, I expected better from you lol.

I hadn't seen a thread about this, so I mentioned it.  So freakin sue me.

And for some people it is easy being a smartass, regardless.

But Rodman, for all his faults, was more subtle than Artest is.  Artest is a better player all-around than Rodman, but the refs are likely to keep a close eye on him, so he may be limited in "watching Kobe's back."

Seems like Artest acts like Rodman off court.  Rodman was never suspended for most of the season, was he?  We'll see how Artest lives up to his own words.

Nothing as major as what happened to Artest a few years ago. But he did get 11 days for kneeing a cameraman in the groin during a Timberwolves game. He also head-butted a ref during a game. The list goes on and on....

Rodman also admitted comtemplating suicide during the 1993 season when he was found asleep in his car with a loaded rifle.

Teams kept taking changes on Rodman because he was a brilliant defender and rebounder. He also played mind games with his opponents throwing them off their game.

Ron Artest is way more stable than Dennis Rodman.