July 15th, 2008 – Dr. Browntorious
Ron Artest has made it painfully clear to the Maloof brothers and the rest of the Sacramento Kings organization that he no longer wants to be a King come the start of training camp. The biggest rumor that has circulated since Ron Artest announced he regretted not opting out of the final year of his contract to test free agency, has been a possible Artest for Lamar Odom swap with the Los Angeles Lakers. The initial push back from the Maloof brothers was they were open to the discussion, but they wanted the Lakers to take back the burdensome contract of Kenny Thomas if they would agree to it. The Lakers were rightfully hesitant. Although sources tell us that the discussions are still underway, the media attention that Ron Artest has recently received by hinting at dumping his agent and representing himself has resulted in more calls to the Sacramento Kings front office about possible trade scenarios involving Artest.
Crazy or not, like him or not, there is no denying that Artest is one of the best defenders and competitors in the NBA today. He is a man child, a beast, a super human defender with a consistent jump shot and quick first step. As versatile a player as Lamar Odom of the LA Lakers is I don’t blame the Maloofs in the least for cooling talks with Mitch Kupchak in order to hear out some of the other offers from around the league regarding Ron Artest.
The latest and most intriguing offer being bandied about for Ron Artest is a possible trade for Shawn Marion of the Miami Heat. The Heat this weak dove hard back into contract negotiations with Shawn Marion which could mean a variety of options for the Heat forward, including a possible sign and trade. Publicly the Heat President Pat Riley keeps telling reporters that their sole interest right now regarding Marion is signing him to a long term contract with the Heat for showcasing a future high flying trio of Wade, Marion, and Michael Beasley. This does seem like a legitimate foundation for the Heat to build around, but if there is one thing we know from the past few years regarding Pat Riley is that he can be a bit of a jackal or master of disguise when discussing roster moves with the media.
Shawn Marion is a great defender, rebounder, and shooter, but I truly feel that Ron Artest is a better fit for the Heat. Artest can do all of the things Marion can do, with maybe even a slighter advantage defensively due to his toughness, but he can also create his own shot. The majority of Marion’s points offensively come from his determination on the glass, or being setup in transition or at the three point line by teammates. While Artest is a great finisher in transition as well, he can create his own shot in an isolation mode. Ron Ron uses his body in the post to either back down a smaller defender, or beat a larger defender off the bounce to the cup. What makes him so deadly however for those trying to defend him is the fact that his jump shot is so consistent and knock down accurate.
Because Marion is getting paid a lot more ($17 million) than Artest ($8.4 million) in his current contract, I’m not sure how the negotiations would workout without the Heat either swallowing a big portion of the final year of Marion’s contract, or taking a bad contract in return from the Kings in whatever potential deal they are discussing. Either way, I’m not sure Pat Riley would be willing to endanger any further his salary cap situation without feeling quite sure his team would be an immediate contender in the East.
Marion to the Kings in exchange for Artest? Unlikely, but fun to think about and a great deal for the Heat if it does go down.
