Report: Artest agrees to deal with Kings
By STEVE HERMAN, AP Sports Writer
January 25, 2006
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Ron Artest may be headed to Sacramento after all.
ESPN reported Wednesday that a deal sending the volatile Indiana Pacers forward to the Kings for sharpshooter Peja Stojakovic was back on, pending approval of Sacramento owners Gavin and Joe Maloof.
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The report that Artest had agreed to the deal came a day after a reportedly "imminent" trade between the teams fell apart. Artest met with Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh on Wednesday at Conseco Fieldhouse and apparently agreed to go to Sacramento.
Pacers spokesman David Benner would not confirm the report and said the team would issue a statement or call a news conference if a deal were completed. Telephone calls seeking comment were left by The Associated Press for Walsh and for Artest's and Stojakovic's agents.
Kings spokesman Troy Hanson said a deal had not been completed as of Wednesday afternoon.
The trade would end a lengthy standoff between the Pacers and Artest, who was deactivated in December after requesting a trade and was suspended most of last season for his role in one of the worst brawls in U.S. sports history.
Artest was off to the best starts of his career this season and last. He averaged a career-best 24.6 points before the brawl in Auburn Hills last season and was leading the NBA with 2.6 steals per game and was second on the team at 19.4 points a game before he was deactivated this season.
The Pacers have struggled without Artest. They were 10-6 in games he played and are 11-14 without him, losing five of their last six. Jermaine O'Neal has hinted that players might be concerned about possibly getting traded along with Artest, and it could be affecting their performance.
Stojakovic was listed on the active roster for Sacramento's Tuesday night 109-103 loss to Philadelphia but was nowhere to be seen at tipoff. After the game, coach Rick Adelman said he didn't know whether he would play Wednesday night against the Knicks in New York.
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