Pacers trade Artest to Kings for Stojakovic
INDIANAPOLIS (TICKER) —Ron Artest is headed to the Sacramento Kings after all.
One day after a deal appeared dead, the Indiana Pacers traded the talented but troubled Artest to the Kings for three-time All-Star forward Peja Stojakovic on Wednesday.
The deal was agreed to by both teams on Tuesday but delayed by Artest, whose agent reportedly told the Kings his client did not want to play for them.
On Wednesday, Artest met with Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh and president of basketball operations Larry Bird and agreed to the trade - which he requested over a month ago.
“We wish Ron the best at Sacramento,” Walsh said in a statement. “There’s no doubt in our mind he’ll have an immediate impact on their team. We’ll miss him very much. We know this has been a long process for our fans, but we have a player we think our fans will enjoy watching.”
Artest, 26, was placed on the inactive list by the Pacers in December and subsequently fined $10,000 by the league for publicly requesting a trade. The 2004 Defensive Player of the Year averaged 19.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and a league-leading 2.63 steals in 16 games this season.
“Ron Artest is going to bring a dimension to this team that we haven’t had in a long time, in terms of his defensive abilities, his presence on the court, his versatility, his size and strength,” Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie said. “Given where we are at this point of the season, we think he’ll come in and really make an impact.”
However, the 6-7 Artest has a long history of erratic and dangerous behavior both on and off the court. He has missed 100 games over the last two seasons through NBA suspensions and team-imposed limitations. He joins his third team.
“Ron is a heck of a player but a little bit different,” said Kings center Brad Miller, who will be Artest’s teammate for a third time.
Stojakovic, a 6-10 shooter who can opt out of his contract after this season, is averaging 16.5 points while making a career-worst 40 percent from the field. For his career, he shoots 46.5 percent overall and nearly 40 percent from 3-point range.
“Obviously, we’re very happy about getting a player of his caliber,” Bird said. “He’s one of the best shooters in the league and we definitely feel he can come in and help us right away. We think he’ll fit with our team because he’ll help spread the floor and give our big men better opportunities to score.”
A native of Serbia & Montenegro, Stojakovic also is a good teammate, while Artest has alienated most of his teammates.
Last season, Artest was suspended 75 games - the longest non-drug ban in NBA history - for his central role in the brawl at The Palace of Auburn Hills on November 19, 2004.
After a scuffle on the court with Detroit Pistons center Ben Wallace, Artest was hit with a partially full plastic cup thrown from the stands and charged into the seats, attacking a fan he believed threw the cup.
The incident triggered a full-scale riot between players and fans and led to changes in security measures at all NBA arenas. Artest later faced criminal charges but was sentenced to probation and community service.
In the 2002-03 season, Artest was suspended for instigating an altercation with Miami Heat coach Pat Riley and fined and suspended for smashing a TV camera after a game at New York. He also got into a shoving match with a Pacers official after a postseason loss.
In 368 games over six-plus seasons with Chicago and Indiana, Artest has averaged 14.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.11 steals. He was an All-Star in 2004.
In 518 games with the Kings, Stojakovic has averaged 18.3 points and 5.0 rebounds while making 89 percent of his free throws. He won the Shootout at All-Star Weekend in 2002 and 2003.
“Peja’s just been a great, great player here,” Petrie said. “We’ve seen him develop from a rookie into a three-time All-Star. We certainly wish him the very best in Indiana. He’ll always be a favorite member of the Kings organization.”
