Posted on 07/02/2009 6:13:41 PM PDT by kellynla
Free-agent forward Ron Artest says he's leaving the Houston Rockets to join the Los Angeles Lakers.
In a text message to ESPN.com on Thursday night, Artest wrote: "I am happy to say I am goin' to L.A."
ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard reports that Artest and the Lakers have reached a verbal agreement on what is believed to be a three-year contract worth an estimated $18 million. Wednesday is the first day free agents are permitted to sign new deals.
Artest's decision was first reported by CBSSports.com. The mercurial swingman was initially courted by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In his text message, Artest said that he met Thursday with Lakers owner Jerry Buss and had spoken to coach Phil Jackson about the move to Los Angeles, where Artest has been spending his offseasons.
Artest's forthcoming arrival strongly suggests that unrestricted free agent Trevor Ariza -- who played such a pivotal run in the Lakers' championship run -- is bound to leave the team. Broussard reported Wednesday that, according to sources with knowledge of the negotiations, Ariza was likely to leave the Lakers for a new team because L.A. was reluctant to sign him to a contract starting above the league's $5.6 million mid-level exception, even after Ariza's postseason success.
Ariza has been courted by numerous teams, including Cleveland, and met Thursday in Las Vegas with Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey to possibly swap spots with Artest.
(Excerpt) Read more at sports.espn.go.com ...
Word up to all peeps
Some fresh tracks been
layin’ down.
My thoughts exactly
We put the “Con” back in concussion.
Billie Holiday sang it so well...
“And the strong seem to get more
while the weak ones fade
Shaq and his bricks
will never makes the grade
‘cause Jerry may have
and Phil may have
but Stern bless the team
that has its Ko-be
That has Kobe...”
“I was hoping that he would have gone to Cleveland to join Shaq & LeBron?”
If you had a choice between living in L.A. or living in the “mistake on the Lake” where would you go?
Duhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...LOL
It is like an arms race among Detroit, Boston, Cleveland and now the Lakers.. Oh boy! The NBA is FANTASTIC!! :)
Artest bolting Houston shouldn’t be surprising if you’ve been watching
“Artest is better than Ariza. Ariza is a good defender, especially on the perimeter, but Artest can be very good everywhere. He is strong enough to muscle inside and quick enough to keep up on the wing. Ariza is a solid offensive weapon — 11.3 points and 49.7-percent shooting in the playoffs. Artest, though he gets a little three-point crazy at times, will score from anywhere.”
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/scott_howard-cooper/07/02/Lakers.Artest/index.html?section=si_latest
Of course...I think Artest is from SoCal anyway. I just hoped that he woulda done otherwise, ‘cuz I HATE the Lakers!
“HATE?” is a pretty strong feeling...it’s just a game...shezzzzzzzzzzz...LOL
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