Ron Artest is heading to Houston in a proposed trade with Sacramento that hasn’t been finalized at the moment.  The trade reportedly sends Artest to Houston for Bobby Jackson, Donte Greene, and a future first round pick.  Some rumors have Sacramento adding additional pieces in the deal, but we won’t know until the deal is done.  One reason it isn’t done is because of Greene’s recent signing with Houston.   A player cannot be dealt until 30 days after he signs with a team, and that means this deal can be done August 14th.

Here’s the breakdown from Sacramento’s viewpoint:

Ron Artest has been a headache ever since coach Rick Adelman got the boot.  Recently, he expressed regret over his decision to stay, and he isn’t in the future plans for the Kings.  Sacramento hasn’t made the playoffs in the last two seasons, and they are clearly trying to rebuild, and Ron’s antics have been nothing but disruptive.   The Kings have been shopping Artest since last season, when they were trying to make a deal up to the trade deadline.   Rumors about a trade with LA and Denver didn’t pan out.  This season, more rumors about LA surfaced, but they reportedly didn’t want to send Odom and take on Artest and Kenny Thomas.  Houston, with coach Rick Adelman, was probably the only team who was willing to make a deal that interested Sacramento.

Artest is in the last year of his deal that pays him about $8.5 million.   Bobby Jackson, a local fan favorite from his previous tenure in Sacramento, is also in the last year of his deal worth a little over $6 million. Bobby is essentially the primary financial filler, because this deal is really about forward Donte Greene and the future pick.  Greene, a 6′10” 220lb forward, adds some youth and athleticism to Sacramento’s frontline that includes last year’s lottery pick Spencer Hawes, and this year’s first round pick Jason Thompson.

The departure of Ron Artest will help team chemistry on the court for the Kings, especially in the case of forward John Salmons.  Salmons filled in for Artest in the starting lineup last season during Artest’s suspension period, and was the team’s best player during that time.   He showed promise at the beginning of the season but that all changed when Artest returned and took over the starting spot.   Salmons complained about returning to the bench, and wasn’t able to bring that level of play in the second unit on a consistent basis for the rest of the season.   Hopefully, Salmons might show that level of play again if he can gain that starting spot and some confidence once again.

As for the Rockets, this move is two fold: it adds that additional player who can score and make things happen on both ends of the court, and it’s a short term move to win now because I don’t know how long the Rockets are going to keep up the Yao/McGrady experiment.

Team chemistry is something that isn’t just a factor for Sacramento.  Yao Ming also has some concerns:

“When I text messaged with Luis, we talked about team chemistry. That’s only what worries us.

“We worry about the new attitude to the team. We are adding talent to the team and we need that, but building team chemistry is important. This is not bad. I don’t mean he is not welcome to Houston. But a new player always needs some time.

“Also, he was the biggest part of a team in Sacramento. He was a star player. We need more chemistry and more communication.”

I think after their playoff loss to the Jazz, Houston felt they needed another player who could step up and impact the game if (or when) injuries hit Yao Ming or Tracy McGrady.   With Yao and Alston both missing playoff games due to injury, the Rockets, specifically McGrady, struggled offensively and really had to carry a large load.  Offensive options were thinning against Utah, and the team needed another player to step up. The Rockets may think Ron can be that player.  Last season, he was second in scoring on the Kings, averaging 20.5 PPG, 5.8 REB, and 3.5 AST.

With the Rockets having yet to make it past the first round of the playoffs with stars Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming, it’s hard to believe the team won’t pick a direction with one of those players in the near future, and the outcome of next season might be vital to that decision.

Overall, I think it was a good deal for both sides.  The Kings are rebuilding, and needed to dump Artest and his antics, and get an expiring contract, a young prospect, and a future first round pick to help the rebuilding process.   Looking at the short term, the Rockets dump an aging guard, a young prospect, and a future pick for one of the best two-way players in the game.   Artest is a headcase, but he has a good relationship with Rick Adelman which may help him keep his act together.   Now Houston fans are hoping Artest can help propel the Rockets past the first round.

Here’s hoping he hasn’t been hanging out with Josh Howard and Chris Andersen.

Sacramento Kings center Brad Miller has been suspended for five games for violating the league’s drug program, according to ESPN. Miller hasn’t previously been suspended for drug violations in his ten seasons in the NBA.

He released an official statement:

“I want to apologize to my family, teammates, fans and entire Kings organization. I made a mistake. It was an error in judgment and I’m very sorry. I regret it deeply. It’s something I won’t and can’t take lightly. I hope to bounce back from this as a better person and I’m excited about the upcoming season.”

The Purdue product came into the league undrafted in 1998, and has been an All-Star in both conferences. Last season, he averaged 13.4 PPG, 9.5 REB, 3.7 AST in 72 games for the Kings.

Sam Amick, a sports writer for the Sacramento Bee, has reported that the LA Lakers have contacted the Kings about Ron Artest, according to a league source. The Kings have not responded yet.

LA’s disappointing performance in the finals, and recent loss of reserve forward Ronny Turiaf to free agency, might be enough to make LA do a deal to add Artest’s toughness and defense to the team. It is assumed that Lamar Odom, a versatile, albeit inconsistent, forward would be the main piece offered in the proposal.

On the flip side, the Kings are finished with the Ron Artest experiment. Artest has been relatively well behaved over the past few years, but he still has had legal issues and an inconsistent attitude towards the team. He has often decided when he plays, and has been criticized for his selfish play at times. If this deal is to be made, it’s assumed the Kings would insist LA relieve them of forward Kenny Thomas. Thomas, who is making over $16 million over the next two seasons, is another player the Kings would be only too happy to see leave. Despite rising gas prices, you’d still see a line of Kings fans willing to drive Kenny to the airport.

Additional Info:

Ron Artest -The Kings acquired the 6′7” forward back in 2006 for Peja Stojakovic. Ron is still one of the premiere individual defenders in the game, and his absence from the All-Defensive team has me scratching my head. Artest recently decided not to opt out of the last year of his deal, and will be paid about $8.5 million.

Artest averaged 20.5 PPG, 5.8 REB, 3.5 AST in 57 games last season.

Lamar Odom – Odom is one of the most versatile players in the game, and has great ball handling ability for a player his size. Unfortunately, he’s had issues with his consistency. Phil Jackson, the Lakers’ head coach, has commented publicly on Odom’s fragile mindset. Odom was instrumental in LA reaching the NBA Finals last season. He is also in the last year of his deal, worth about $14.6 million.

Odom averaged 14.2 PPG, 10.6 REB, 3.5 AST in 77 games last season.

Artest and Odom are good friends and have known each other for years. Both are from Queens, New York, and Artest attended a game of the NBA Finals to support Odom. Artest has expressed a desire to play with Odom.