Could Ron Artest End Up Making the Lakers Even More Scary-Good Next Season?
The Los Angeles Lakers are in the midst of a potential championship season. They’ve got Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom, will get Andrew Bynum back next season after his knee surgery, and have a whole arsenal of weapons coming off the bench.
It’s hard to imagine them being much better than they are right now…then you think about them possibly adding Ron Artest to the mix for 08-09.
Yes, they could be even better next season.
Of course, Artest has still not left the fold in Sacramento. He can opt out of his contract, but has reportedly not made up his mind whether he will do so.
Should he decide to become a free agent, the Lakers would probably jump into negotiations. They wouldn’t be able to offer as much money as a lot of other teams, but they can offer the chance to play alongside Kobe Bryant, a guy who has professed his near man-love for Artest in the past.
The Lakers did apparently have Artest on their radar screens at the trade deadline this year, as a plan B in case the Pau Gasol deal fell through. It’s unlikely, however, that the Lakers would be able to swing any kind of off-season deal for Artest should the Kings opt to go the sign-and-trade route.
Plenty of other teams will be in the mix for Artest, including the Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks and New York Knicks. There could be bigger money waiting for him in some of those places…but no better chance to win will present itself than what the Lakers will have to offer.
Tags: Andrew Bynum, Heat, Knicks, Kobe Bryant, Lakers, Lamar Odom, Mavericks, Pau Gasol, Ron Artest
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May 19th, 2008 at 11:13 am
I like the possibility, but I think the Lakers would be wise to steer clear. They already have a championship squad without Artest, and what he adds (tenacious defense and a well-rounded offense) barely covers what he takes away (great team chemistry).
I think LA should let Artest play somewhere else.
June 19th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
No way. We do not want Artest. Shawn Marion would be a way better fit. Perhaps Odom and either Luke Walton or a Chris Mihm
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:10 pm
RON ARTEST OR SHAWN MARION .. ???? I SAY RON ARTEST HE CAN SHOOT HAS D AND CAN GRAB BOARDS !!!! THATS WHAT WE NEED RIGHT NOW
June 25th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
Artest to the Lakers, Odom to the heat and Marion to CowBell town, I mean Sacramento.
That’s it!