The Lakers got a little older, a little more experienced and a good deal more interesting when combustible free agent Ron Artest agreed to leave the Houston Rockets and join the NBA champions Thursday. The deal is believed to be worth about $18 million over three seasons.
“We have an agreement in principle,” said David Bauman, Artest’s agent, who said the deal was still being negotiated. “We’re not quite there yet. We’re still working on it.”
Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak confirmed the pending deal late Thursday night.
“We have entered into discussions with Ron Artest and it is our intention to sign him to a contract at the conclusion of the moratorium period,” Kupchak said in a statement.
Teams began negotiating with free agents Tuesday night, but they can’t sign players until Wednesday.
“I am very excited to finally be going to L.A.,” Artest said in a statement issued by Bauman. “For years now, the Lakers have expressed interest in having me play for them, but we could never get the stars to align.
“I’m finally a Laker and I can’t wait to get on the court with Kobe, Pau (Gasol) and the rest of the team, and play for Phil (Jackson). The Lakers really made me feel wanted.”
“I talked to Coach Phil, and I was happy to talk to him,” Artest said. “Big fan of Coach Phil. I made my decision after I had lunch today with Dr. Buss, and I realized what a great organization I’m joining. I look forward to helping the Lakers defend their championship, and it will be great to finally not get booed in the Staples Center.”
Meanwhile, free agent Trevor Ariza met with Rockets officials in Las Vegas as they worked quickly to secure a replacement for Artest, a 6-foot-7 guard/forward. Ariza, who also is 6-7, reportedly agreed to accept an offer of $33 million over five years.
By swapping Artest for Ariza, the Lakers gained considerable experience, although not all of it has been good. Artest has played for four teams in 10 seasons in the NBA. He was selected to the All-Star team while with the Indiana Pacers in 2003-04.
Ariza, a 24-year-old former standout at Westchester High and UCLA, has played with New York and Orlando. The Lakers acquired him from the Magic on Nov. 20, 2007, sending Brian Cook and Maurice Evans to Orlando.
Artest, who turns 30 in November, has played with Chicago, Indiana, Sacramento and Houston. He might be best known for charging into the stands to fight with Detroit Pistons fans in the infamous “Malice in the Palace” brawl early in the 2004-05 season. NBA commissioner David Stern suspended Artest for 73 games.
In addition, the league suspended Artest for the first seven games of the 2007-08 season, a penalty stemming from a misdemeanor domestic violence charge after he had an altercation with his wife March5, 2007.
Artest had a pair of minor run-ins with Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant this past season, engaging in a heated trash-talking duel in a March 11 game at Houston. He also confronted Bryant after Bryant elbowed him during a playoff game May6. But Artest and Bryant are said to be friendlier off the court than on it.
The Lakers went on to defeat the Rockets, who were without injured stars Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, in a taut series that propelled them past the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference finals and then by the Magic in the NBA Finals.
Artest sat in a courtside seat for Games 1 and2 of the Finals at Staples Center. He has a longtime friendship with Lamar Odom, one of the Lakers’ three free agents this summer. Artest and Odom played with and against each other as youths while growing up in New York City.
An agreement with Artest could make things easier for the Lakers in their attempts to re-sign Odom, who reportedly seeks a contract that would pay him $10 million per season. Odom made $11.4 million last season. Artest and Odom swapped text messages Thursday.
Adding the 6-foot-7, 246-pound Artest ended any chance the Lakers had of re-signing Ariza. When the Lakers failed to produce an attractive offer, agent David Lee said Ariza hoped to get a bigger and better deal elsewhere.
“The Lakers never offered a contract,” Lee said. “Their response was, `Go out and find out what someone else will pay you and come back to us.’ I don’t think he felt appreciated.”
Ariza sought a deal considerably north of the $5.6 million mid-level exception the Lakers reportedly proposed. He made $3.1 million last season, when he became a full-time starter and averaged 8.9 points and 4.3rebounds in 82 games.
