The Sacramento Kings have entered into an agreement with the Houston Rockets on Tuesday, July 29, to trade Ron Artest for former Kings point guard Bobby Jackson, rookie Donte Greene and a No. 1 draft pick, according to news reports.
Due to the nature of Greene’s contract, the deal would not be finalized until Aug. 14. There’s still a window of opportunity that the deal could fall through. But as Sacramento Bee Kings beat writer Melody Gutierrez posted on her blog, Greene’s agency, Blue Entertainment Sports Television (BEST), has updated his team affiliation to the Kings.
Life outside the arena was a rough one for Artest. In early 2007, Artest was suspected of animal cruelty when Placer County animal control officials siezed one of his dogs. Then in March, Artest was arrested for domestic violence. The King then suspend him, but he is reinstated days later.
The Kings acquired Artest in a trade with the Pacers which sent Peja Stojakovic to Indiana in January 2006. A couple of days later, the 6’ 7” forward plays his first game as a King where he scored 15 points and grabbed six rebounds in a 84-74 losing effort against the Boston Celtics.
Artest, a 9-year veteran, leaves the Kings finishing with an average of 20.5 points per game and 5.8 rebounds per game.
What the Kings get in return is an aging guard in Jackson, who at age 35 has been in the NBA for 11 years. His career scoring averages is 10 points per game while dishing out about 2.6 assists per game.
On the other hand, the other two players in the deal - Greene and most likely a 2009 draft pick – will bring youth to the Kings. According to Kings President Geoff Petrie, youth is the future for the Kings.