The New York Daily News (Mark Lelinwalla) reports: Ron Artest also told the Daily News that before he inked his five-year, $33 million deal with the Lakers earlier this month, he gave heavy consideration to signing with LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal and the Cleveland Cavaliers. “It was close (to happening), but the Lakers showed more interest,” Artest said. “They’re my boys (James and O’Neal), though. Shaq is still my boy. I’m looking forward to playing with Kobe and going after a championship.”
Category: Los Angeles Lakers Blog
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Heat may offer Lamar Odom a deal
The Los Angeles Daily News (Elliot Teaford) reports (via blog): It seems likely that Lamar Odom could sign a five-season deal with the Miami Heat at the mid-level exception ($5.8 million for next season and $34 million or so for the length of the contract) by the end of the week. The Dallas Mavericks also are interested in giving Odom the same deal, but he seems less likely to land in Dallas. Reports out of Miami indicate the Heat are trying to sign Odom and trade for Carlos Boozer of the Utah Jazz in an attempt to satisfy Dwyane Wade’s demands for a beefed up roster next season.
Report: Lakers take Lamar Odom offer off table
Are the Los Angeles Lakers and forward Lamar Odom going to part ways?
Negotiations between the two sides reportedly haven’t been going well, and things may have gone in the opposite direction, if a new report is true.
The Los Angeles Daily News, via blog, reports: Now it looks as if the Lakers offer to the free agent forward has been taken off the table, according to our Elliott Teaford, who is attending the Lakers summer league game in Las Vegas.
Odom may be looking for approximately $10 million per season, while the Lakers may be offering several million less per year.
Houston Rockets sign Trevor Ariza
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Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed free agent guard/forward Trevor Ariza to a multi-year contract. Per team policy, financial terms were not released.
“Trevor is a young, athletic wing player who will thrive in Rick Adelman’s system,” said Morey. “Each year in the league Trevor has improved. What he has accomplished at a young age is already impressive and we expect his improvement to continue.”
Ariza (6-8, 210, UCLA) holds career averages of 6.9 points (.470, 808-1718 FG), 3.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.14 steals in 311 games (52 starts) with the New York Knicks, Orlando Magic and L.A. Lakers. In 2008-09, Ariza emerged as a key contributor for the Lakers during the team’s title run. He appeared in a career-high 82 games (20 starts), averaging 8.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.67 steals in 24.4 minutes per game. Ariza scored in double figures 39 times, including a career-high 26 points (9-13 FG) vs. Dallas (3/15/09). The five-year NBA veteran also made his presence felt on the defensive side of the ball by ranking ninth in the NBA in steals per game. Overall last season, Ariza led the Lakers in steals 30 times and in blocks on seven occasions. He set his career high with five steals vs. Utah (1/2/09) and matched that total vs. Phoenix (2/26/09). Ariza added to his game in 2008-09 by becoming a perimeter threat for the Lakers, making a career-high 61 3-pointers (.319, 61-191 3FG). He also registered a double-double with 11 points and a season-high 11 rebounds vs. Sacramento (11/23/08). Ariza started all 23 postseason games for the Lakers during the 2009 NBA Playoffs, averaging 11.3 points (.497, 92-185 FG), 4.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.57 steals. He also led the Lakers with 40 3-point field goals made (.476, 40-84 3FG) and ranked among the league postseason leaders in steals per game (13th overall).
Selected by New York in the second round (43rd overall) of the 2004 NBA Draft, Ariza at the time became the youngest player to ever wear a Knicks uniform (19 years, 4 months and 4 days) during his rookie season of 2004-05. He was traded by New York along with Anfernee Hardaway to Orlando in exchange for Steve Francis on Feb. 22, 2006. After re-signing as a free agent with the Magic on July 27, 2006, Ariza went on to average 8.9 points (.539, 200-371 FG), 4.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 57 games (seven starts) with Orlando in 2006-07. He was acquired by the Lakers from the Magic in exchange for Brian Cook and Maurice Evans on Nov. 20, 2007.
Ariza, who declared for the NBA Draft following his freshman campaign, played in 25 games (23 starts) at UCLA. He averaged 11.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and a team-high 1.7 steals in 31.6 minutes per game in 2003-04.
Shannon Brown re-signs with Lakers
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The Los Angeles Lakers have signed free agent guard Shannon Brown, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not released.
Brown, who was acquired by the Lakers on February 7, 2009 as part of a trade with the Charlotte Bobcats, appeared in 18 regular season games with Los Angeles, averaging 3.2 points and 1.1 rebounds in 7.6 minutes. In six games in April, however, Brown nearly doubled his averages with 6.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 14.5 minutes.
In the postseason, Brown appeared in 21 games, averaging 4.9 points, 1.2 rebounds and 0.6 assists in 13.1 minutes while posting three double-figure scoring games and converting 12-of-25 three-point field goals (.480).
Originally selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the 25th overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, Brown, a 6’4” guard out of Michigan State, has appeared in 92 games over three NBA seasons, averaging 4.2 points, 0.9 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 10.0 minutes.
Phil Jackson probably returning for Lakers
ESPN.com reports: The Los Angeles Lakers’ commitment to sign the mercurial Ron Artest would appear to make retaining Phil Jackson even more imperative than the team believed when the NBA’s free-agent period began. It shouldn’t be a topic of discussion much longer. Jackson’s presence on the bench next season, according to one NBA coaching source, is “99.9 percent” assured, with another source indicating that Jackson’s return will be publicly confirmed by the Lakers by early next week at the latest.
Ron Artest signs with Lakers
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The Los Angeles Lakers have signed free agent forward Ron Artest, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not released.
Artest, a 6’7” 260-pound forward out of St. John’s University, has averaged 16.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.06 steals in 604 career games (562 starts) during his 10 NBA seasons with Chicago, Indiana, Sacramento and Houston. Originally selected by the Chicago Bulls with the 16th overall pick in the 1999 NBA draft, Artest is one of only three players in NBA history to post career averages of 16+ points, 5+ rebounds, 3+ assists and 2+ steals (Michael Jordan, Clyde Drexler).
The 2004 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Artest has been named NBA All-Defensive First Team twice (2004, 2006) and Second Team twice (2003, 2009). A member of the 2004 Eastern Conference All-Star team, Artest also earned All-NBA Third Team honors in 2004 and has finished among the top three league leaders in steals five of the last eight seasons while leading his team in steals in nine of his 10 NBA seasons overall.
In 2008-09, Artest averaged 17.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.52 steals in 69 games (55 starts) with Houston while setting single-season career-highs in 3-point field goals made and attempted (.399, 153-383 3FG) and leading the Rockets in steals (105).
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INITIAL RON ARTEST LAKERS SIGNING UPDATE
By Jeff Lenchiner, editor of InsideHoops.com
Houston Rockets free agent forward Ron Artest is going to sign with the 2008-09 NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers.
The negotiation period for NBA free agents began July 1. Actual signings can take place starting July 8.
According to Chris Broussard of ESPN, the deal may be for three years and around $18 million.
As the Lakers add Artest it appears they will be losing energy hustle guy Trevor Ariza, who is reportedly going to sign with the Houston Rockets.
The addition of Artest to the current NBA champions is interesting. He helps in some ways, but doesn’t in others. He won’t replace the hectic, frantic, fill-in-the-blanks, complimentary, fast break style of Ariza, but is a better halfcourt defender. Artest is also much stronger than Ariza and can easily play power forward for long stretches.
Overall, Ron is definitely better than Trevor.
I question how well Artest will fit into the triangle offense of the Lakers, however. He can do it, but it’s not the most natural fit.
Ariza last season averaged just 8.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game, shooting 46% but just 31.9% from three-point range. Though, in the playoffs he suddenly became an assassin from outside, nailing 47.6% of his threes.
Artest last season for the Rockets put up 17.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game, though he shot an awful 40.1%. He was nice from three-point range, though, hitting 39.9%.
Overall, adding Artest while losing Ariza is an upgrade for the Lakers, though I’ll still keep my eye on how well Artest fits in with their offense.
And, key Lakers forward Lamar Odom is currently a free agent. The team needs to keep Odom, and a source says the team feels they’ll be able to re-sign him.
Read basketball fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.
NBA team, D-League team affiliations announced
The National Basketball Association and the NBA Development League, the official minor league of the NBA, today announced the affiliation system for the 2009-10 season, including the announcement of a direct single-affiliation partnership between the Houston Rockets and Rio Grande Valley Vipers. For the fifth consecutive year, each NBA team has one NBA D-League affiliate to which it may assign players in their first or second NBA season.
The Rockets became the first NBA team to enter into a direct single-affiliation partnership with an NBA D-League team, granting the Rockets full control over the basketball operations of the Vipers. With the move, the Rockets will be the only parent-club of the team.
In a structure similar to other minor leagues, this new partnership model, previously referred to as the “hybrid affiliation,” allows for NBA teams to secure control over and cover the expenses related to the basketball operations of an NBA D-League team, while partnering with existing local ownership, who maintain responsibility for the off-the-court business operations of the team.
The list of affiliations is on our NBA D-League page.
Shaq to wear jersey No. 33 on Cavaliers
The AP reports: Shaquille O’Neal hasn’t picked out a house in Cleveland yet. He has chosen a jersey number — his old one. Shaq is going back to No. 33. Traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday, the 15-time All-Star has decided to wear 33, the team confirmed Friday.
Amar’e Stoudemire to the Lakers? Doubtful
Phoenix Suns star forward/center Amar’e Stoudemire (I’m still getting used to typing the apostrophe in his first name) posted what I assume is a joke on Twitter around 3:30 p.m. ET on Friday, posting: “Breaking News! Amar’e Stoudemire to the Lakers!!”
While the Suns did just trade Shaquille O’Neal to the Cleveland Cavaliers and have reportedly made Stoudemire available, my immediate assumption was that he was kidding.
After maybe an hour, I did pick up the phone and call someone who knows a thing or two about a thing or two relating to someone or something, and I still won’t take it seriously until there’s reason to think otherwise.
If the Suns do wind up trading Stoudemire to a decent team, I hope it’s one of those squads that’s decent but would become good and occasionally very good with him on board. Like the 76ers, Heat, maybe the Bulls. If any of those squads got Amar’e they’d move a rung or two up the East ladder.