If you're a disgruntled player entering a contract year with a team that has made absolutely clear it will not sign you to a long-term deal next summer, and you decide you want to be traded, what's the logical next step? Tell the media you're firing your agent, of course! Ron Artest, how we love thee.Marc Stein of ESPN.com has the breathless dialogue.
In a series of e-mails he sent to ESPN.com late Saturday and early Sunday, Artest continued to lament his decision to pass on an opportunity to become a free agent July 1 by announcing that he is now representing himself without an agent and expressing hope that he will soon be traded to "a team out there that can be more committed than Sacramento to me."It's not really a "trade demand," and the semantic battle between "hopes," "demands" and "requests" can be fought all day without any deeper understanding of the situation. Whatever the depth of Artest's hope, it's a fairly serious statement, even for a man no one should take seriously when he makes statements.
For what it's worth, Artest's agent Mark Stevens indicates he has not been fired in a brief talk with the Sacramento Bee's Sam Amick.
"I haven't heard anything about that," Stevens said by phone. "I don't know anything about it." Asked about his reaction if it proved to be true, he said, "I don't respond to 'ifs.'"So there you go. Ignore all the idiosyncrasies of the situation, and it really is a logical turn of events. Stevens read Sacramento's intentions with Artest terribly, Artest feels unwell about his long-term security and would prefer to be in a more certain position, Artest blames everyone and fires his agent through the media, and Geoff Petrie chokes down a handful of blood pressure pills. This is exactly how things should work.
Previously on FanHouse:
Lakers Owners Want Artest
Artest-for-Odom Trade in the Pipeline?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-14-2008 @ 12:34PM
Ryne Nelson said...
I wouldn't be surprised if Artest is traded this summer. However, I can't imagine him in a Lakers uniform.
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7-14-2008 @ 9:20PM
frank said...
LA is rushing a bit;
The problem with LA is the bench (-turiaf) so is asap or urgent;
A point guard ala D.Williams is a given sooner or later;
Concentration in the bench and changes in such is a reality instead of trading anybody on the starter line up;
LA did not go to the finals by luck instead Phil messed up
especially with the bench;
If LA does not believe that the bench is part of the problem ( not solution)then change the coach instead;
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7-14-2008 @ 11:29PM
Martin said...
The bench was not the problem. The biggest problem was that neither Gasol nor Odom could finish around the basket as they don't have the necessary "hops". Plus Gasol couldn't guard anyone. The bench came up big on numerous occasions in the regular season, and Sasha and Farmar should be better with another year under their belts. With Bynum returning, Odom is going to have to pick up his three point shooting, as it has dropped down to the "poor" level in the last two years. If he can't hit a high percentage of threes, the defense will sag off him and make it difficult for Bynum and Gasol to play a two man game down low. Artest is a very good three point shooter and a great defender. The only worry is what he will do to the Laker's chemistry, which was so good last year.
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7-15-2008 @ 12:52AM
BeckBudArtois said...
While he is a talent, Artest is a psychological challenge for any coach/team. With all the drama in Lakerland, especially the head drama queen Kobe, Artest will probably be the perfect fit. If nothing else, he'll keep bloggers full of material for the life of his contract.
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