realgm.com is reporting that there is a deal in the works that would send artest to the sonics for barry. if we want to make the playoffs we can't let the sonics get any better than we are. i'm not saying that we must outbid them for artest, just that if this happens, we will NEED to make a move too. the article says that the pacers are interested in this deal because of barrys ending contract. i would like to see artest play here this season, and i think that we could counter with an offer of rice and cato for artest, tinsley (who they also want to give away) and foster. the article says the o'neal wanted artest tinsey and mercer gone in order for him to re-sign there. they already game mercer away for danny ferry. and now it lookslike they are willing to do the same with the other two.
and realgm.com is one of the most accreditted reliable resources for basketball in all the net. Sure sure, I'll believe it when I see it, which will be never
I think that would be a bad deal for the Sonics - Barry posted some really nice numbers after Payton left.
Agreed. This hardly makes Seattle better. It would overload them at the swing positions and leave them nothing substantial at PG. They are already weak up front. Trade really doesn't make sense unless Seattle has other moves in mind (Lewis). Lewis and Artest are both starting 3s and Allen is going to get 35+ mins at the 2. Lewis and Artest can play the 2 and 3 but nothing else.
Are Sonics trying to be like the Knicks of years past? Pretty good swingmen, but a pathetic ass front court. Either way, I would trade Barry for Artest in a heart beat.
Peter Vecsey started this Artest for Brent Barry romor in the NY Post. But it sounds like the Pacers are very content with him from the Indy newspaper. Here is the Ying and the Yang of it. http://www.nypost.com/sports/39957.htm http://www.indystar.com/print/articles/0/072640-3560-036.html
Vecsey might post anything just to have a "scoop" on something, but I think the Pacers would trade Artest if they could, despite their protests to the contrary. JVG says we need shooters, so do any of the Indy players "available" fit that bill? I'd like Artest, and the Indy trade exception would make Cat for Artest work, something like that. Oh how we could fortify the 3. Will it happen? Doubt it. If so, better happen soon. Training camp starts soon. (As far as Bird and Carlisle and the owner saying they love Artest, isn't that what you always say until a trade is consummated? Bird's recent comments [that Ronnie needs to get his act together] suggest he'll at least listen to offers.)
RealGM just summarizes stories from newspapers nationwide (plus Clutchcity from time to time!), and then provides a link to the story. It is actually a pretty good resource.
I think he was saying that the Indy Star was reporting that Bird and Carlisle don't want to trade Artest.
I think Larry Bird has already demonstrated what he thinks about O'Neal's opinions. For that reason alone, I throw this rumor out the window.
How does that trade help Indy or Seattle? Indy needs nothing but experience and Seattle needs frontcourt help and this trade addresses neither. Now if Indy really wanted to do something, they could try to send Croshere and Harrington to Portland for Wallace. Portland gets their choice of Woods,Harrington or Croshere at the 3 and Indy gets a bonifide scorer to go with J'Oneal. Wallace has the ability to play the 3 and probably plays it better than the 4. Thats the reason why alot of people even with the attitude thinks he's a very good player. Its probably only 1 or 2 players in the league that can do that and those two are Garnett and Dirk.
If they trade for Artest, they lose their PG. I know it might be nice to have a tandem of Ray and Artest, but without someone to feed them the ball, they are screwed. Besides, they already have Lewis and Ray to play the SG and SF. Why would they do this trade at all... Terrible... um, I say they should do it. One less team to contend with, is okay with me.
Thanks for the links. I do believe Artest is likely to be traded, amybe even to Rox. But why would Seattle consider this unless the deal is multi-player, thus giving Sonics some help where needed (4, for example. riddance to 1 or more 5s, for example).
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/basketball/138888_sonx10.html Wednesday, September 10, 2003 Barry deal unrealistic Rumored trade involving Pacers' Artest would not work with Sonics' salary cap By DANNY O'NEIL SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER The New York Post reported yesterday the Sonics were mulling a trade that would send Brent Barry to Indiana for Ron Artest. Make that mulled. Sonics team policy is to not comment on trade rumors, but it's believed that any consideration is all in the past. Indiana may be interested in Barry, who is in the final year of a contract that will pay him more than $5 million this season. Barry is a Sonics captain and will be the starting point guard. Rashard Lewis is the only player with more tenure on the team than Barry, the oldest player on the roster at 31. Pacers forward Artest, 23, is talented enough to be intriguing. He's also been in enough trouble to give pause to any team interested in him. He was suspended five times last season -- four times by the league and once by the team. Artest committed six flagrant fouls last season, most in the league. Conduct isn't the only baggage. There's also his contract. Artest begins a six-year contract this season that will total more than $45 million. He received a raise of more than 20 percent, and because the Pacers are over the salary cap, it makes Artest a base-year compensation player. A base-year compensation player is difficult to trade because his salary counts 50 percent of its actual value to his team. However, his salary would count as full value to the team that acquires him. That makes it hard to meet the league's trade standard, which stipulates a team over the salary cap can't take back more than 115 percent plus $100,000 of the salaries it gives up. Stated simply, Artest is difficult to trade to a team over the salary cap, such as the Sonics. In fact, he's impossible to trade in a one-for-one player swap with a team that's over the salary cap. More players -- or more likely another team -- would need to be involved for it to work. Artest's agent, Mark Bartelstein, said yesterday he didn't know of any reality beyond the rumor. Rumored trade involving Pacers' Artest would not work with Sonics' salary cap
