Ariza To Houston, Brings Artest To L.A.
The newly minted NBA champions made what amounts to a daring trade Thursday night, shaking up the league’s second day of free agency by essentially swapping out on-the-rise swingman Trevor Ariza for the versatile, physical and famously unpredictable Ron Artest.
The Los Angeles Lakers and Artest have struck an agreement in principal on a multiyear contract that, according to sources close to the process, will total roughly $18.7 million over three years or $33.5 million over five years, depending on which contract structure Artest ultimately prefers. But they had to let Ariza go to create the financial flexibility to do so.
It was Artest, not surprisingly, who was the first to announce his forthcoming partnership with Kobe Bryant and his long-awaited move to the glamour capital of the Western Conference, sharing the news with CBSSports.com and writing in a text message to ESPN.com: “I am happy to say I am goin’ to L.A.”
ESPN The Magazine’s Chris Broussard reported late Thursday that the financial aspects of the deal have not been finalized, in part because Artest’s camp wants more time to weigh its options. Wednesday is the first day players can sign new contracts for the 2009-10 season, after the league announces the new salary-cap ceiling and luxury-tax threshold.
A five-year contract, which Broussard reported would include a player option on the fifth season, would bring Artest added security in case of injury. The shorter three-year deal, though, would enable Artest to return to free agency at 32, with full Larry Bird rights and the potential to sign a more lucrative deal with the Lakers or another team.
Either way, L.A. has made a surprising splash, when it was widely expected the Lakers would merely try this offseason to re-sign Ariza and Lamar Odom.
ESPN.com reported Wednesday that Ariza was growing frustrated by the Lakers’ reluctance to start his new contract higher than the projected mid-level exception for next season of $5.8 million and giving strong thought to signing elsewhere.
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Comments (15)
I AGREE WITH YOU MAMI, WE ONLY GOT THREE GOOD PLAYERS. 1- AARON BROOKS, 2-S.BATTIER,3-T.ARIZA (HE A BEAST N A HUSTLER)… BUT THE REST IS WACK AS F**K!
PITIFUL SEASON.
ROCKETS CHEAP.I SWEAR
THE ROCKETS IS GOING TO HAVE A SORRY ASS SEASON….YAO MING IS OUT…T-MAC DONT DO S!IT…WE NO LONGER HAVE ARTEST! I NEED TO JUMP ON SOMEBODIES BAND WAGON…AND IT WILL NOT BE HOBE AND THEM! LOL!
Yeah everybody from LA wont be saying all this once Artest gets in that shooting slump like he did with the Rockets but me being from Houston I think Ariza should be able to help them out because they gave LA a run for their money even though a few games was fixed. But I was stated that Ariza wasnt happy on the Lakers and wanted a new home so he will now be a starter with the Rockets.
WTF
Now that’s blockbuster. I am not happy but that is a good move as long as Mitch Kupchak makes all the necessary changes for Ron Artest to fit in on the team.
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NOOOOOOOOOOOO !! If Artest is gonna be a Laker, he needs to GROW thee hell up, cuz Phil Jackson don’t play none of that bulls**t. But Ariza for Artest is a good trade.. Hmm, I wonder what Kobe thinks. Can we say repeat?!?! GOOOOOOO Lakers
I hate the Lakes but this sure made them more interesting to watch. And Ron Artest has to be getting paid under the table or something because he has been getting grossly underpaid for years.
ohhh what’s that i smell???????don’t ya’ll smell too….smell a REPEAT!!!!!…..
DUMB!! move by Ariza he needs to FIRE HIS AGENT!!!!!!! he could have STAYED ON THE LAKERS and get the SAME SALARY……… NO team is going to give him what is agent expect he deserve HE STILL GOT THE SAME MID-LEVEL SALARY,,,,,,,NOW he is on a team that’s NOT CHAMPION CALIBA.
ariza saved the laker against the Nuggets!!! Artest should take the 33 million with all that talent his no. are sure to go down, he will not have the ball as much and will not command as much money after playing with the lakers
djtd53…my nigga….speak that real s**t…niggaz talkin like ariza the next scottie pippen or something lol.he had one good playoff run…u see it all the time…lets see how “good” he is when he suit up for a rocket team with a beat up mcgrady and no big man..He will have knowone to help set up his shots down there lol…we gone see, we gone see…
This was stupid as I don’t know what. As soon as Artest retires (after Kobe’s 5th championship ring) they should get Ariza back. He’s a great player in development. And he’s from LA. Cmon, man… But it Is better to have Ron than to play against him, 4real
It’s gonna be a trip seeing Ariza guard Kobe… I think he’ll give him some stress lol
oh ok artest being a laker ok. i think whoever get ariza is luckly in my eyesight the boy can play. and i can’t stand the laker but, i can’t hate the boys good.
i didn’t like L.A but as long as cleveland don’t win im good!
Be afraid Laker haters…. be very afraid… Ariza looked so good in the playoffs because teams DARED him to make open 3s and he made them. But Artest is a better 1-on-1 defender & can guard the lebrons & paul pierces of the NBA (lettin Kobe save energy). He wont be a jackass in the locker room either cuz he’s 29 and he chose L.A. OVER Cleveland so that tells u where the championship gotta come through. Lakers in ‘10