Didn't see this anywhere. Sorry for the repeat if it was already posted. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4174528 Ron Artest wants to return to an amicable Houston Rockets team for a second season, the forward told the Houston Chronicle on Sunday, a desire the team's general manager says he would like to fulfill. Artest "I just know this team was so good, I think we'll grow together," Artest said. The Rockets took the Los Angeles Lakers to a Game 7 in their second-round playoff series despite missing center Yao Ming and forward Tracy McGrady. "He has a desire to come back," Rockets general manager Daryl Morey told the Chronicle. "We have a desire to make it work. That's step one with a lot of steps from here." Artest became a free agent after an extension wasn't reached during the season, when the Rockets agreed to put off any contract talks until after the playoffs, the report said. The Rockets were limited in what they could offer Artest in an extension, with raises over four years that could not have exceeded $37 million. "It's going the right direction," Bauman said. "Daryl has done an amazing job assembling a really good core of both young players and veterans for the future." Artest averaged 17.1 points and 5.2 rebounds in 35.5 minutes per game this season, his 10th in the NBA.
Dang, $8 mil/yr a good deal for Artest? I personally would love to keep the dude on this team.....need to keep the toughness on this squad. I'm all for getting rid of that pansy T-Mac.
............but he can shoot 40%.......from 3 and close to 50% from 2, if his shot selection is improved upon. You know he has the shooting skills. It's just a matter of taking the right shots. Ron wants to be great. And to be great he has to be on a team that wins multiple championships. He knows we got the talent around him to do it. We really need to sign him and coach in to higher success.
I agree that this team needs a CONSISTENT shooter, but wouldn't we be better served trying to find that shooter with T-Mac's contract instead of letting Artest walk? I think if we can sign Artest for anything under $9MM a year, we have to do it, simply because of he brings to the table. His shooting may have been under 40% but what was his opponent's FG% during the season? I would venture a guess that it wasn't much better. His toughness and tenacity clearly fits in with the team mentality, and I think he's someone that the players almost rally around. And you also can't deny the fact that the city absolutely adores him as well. I think something along the lines of 4 years/$32MM would be perfect.
I could live with $8 mil for Ron, but that's his max. I don't realistically think any other team is going to offer him that much, so I think we're good.
Morey loves the guy, 8M is not much of a bump over the 7.5M he makes now. It's a reasonable start for contract discussions. Ron and his agent are in the drivers seat, the Rox can only wait until all the bids are in.
I'm down with Artest signing if we put in a clause that he gets so much per pass and more with assists as incentive bonuses. So like $4m/yr + bonuses to get to $8m!
We'll have to wait and see how much of this is smoke and mirrors, but it would be a shame to see the Rockets start spending like drunken sailors, right as they're almost out from under several years of salary cap hell.
Artest can not co-exist on this team with T-Mac, so you have to have a plan in place on what to do with the latter. It was noted that only three other teams have the ability to match that sort of offer: Oklahoma, Memphis, and Detroit. Oklahoma and Memphis are years away from winning, so I doubt Artest will go there. And Detroit... yeah, Artest will not sign with Detroit. So, IF Morey crunches the numbers and determines that Artest is a guy that makes the team a lot better (and I do have some doubts there), then I do think we need to get a little hardball in negotiations. Team salary caps will be going DOWN, not UP, for the next couple of years, so locking into overpriced contracts will be more crippling now than ever. $8 million feels like too much for a player that still carries a lot of risk. I think a Battier contract is much more appropriate for Artest.
I think, a 2+1+1 contract would be good. The 3rd year is the player option, and the 4th year is the team option.
We need to resign Artest. I'm hoping for a 3 year deal max. Hopefully Les will do what has to be done, and suffer the luxury tax until T-Mac is off the books. I dont like trading T-Mac because I dont see us getting 30+ Mill return on our investment. Just let the contract expire and free up all that loot. Then go hard after Bron, Dwade, or Bosh in 2010. They would be a fool not to want to come here and play with Yao and Artest, and especially open up their endorsements to the Chinese market. I'm sure that is also a big reason why Artest may be willing to settle here. What the Rockets salary lacks, the Chinese market may easily pick up the tab and then some.
I'm okay with anything up to 8 million a year. Like someone else said, we need to get rid of McGrady is we keep Artest, though. I really think that we can move TMac's huge expiring contract, to someone who is wanting to jump into the big 2010 free-agency market, for someone who is pretty good and young.
He shoot 40% from 3. BTW What was the last time Houston pass the first round? Who was playing on that team. Yes. % means crap. The National perception Houston went from a soft team to and respect of the rest of the league because of how the tough they play. One more thing who lead Houston in assist this postseason? Yes it was Ron. Is not all about % when you have to take all the bad shoot when the clock is running down after broken plays, Aaron didn't take it or Scola or Yao, Ron did it. There is always someone who take all this bad shoots, before was T-Mac now is Ron. Sorry he never came here to be the first option or the one who will bail you out when thing are tough. Is not their fault that he have to score download over 7footers because there was not spacing or player to stretch the defense. Maybe we should get rid of Kyle Lowry because he shoot like crap too. Or Scola who shoot 42FG% download.
