Lakers reach agreement to add Ron Artest to squad

The Los Angeles Lakers are not content to stand pat in defense of their latest championship.

They reached an agreement Thursday with Houston Rockets free agent forward Ron Artest on a five-year deal using the team's mid-level exception that would pay Artest a little more $32 million based on last season's mid-level amount of $5.585 million. Artest will have an out in the contract after the fourth season, according to a source, and will be allowed to make the contract into a three-year deal if he changes his mind between now and next Wednesday, the first official day that players can sign contracts for the 2009-10 season.

The 29-year-old Artest might be inclined to go for a shorter deal to give him the chance at another contract after this one expires. By signing for three years, Artest would regain his "Larry Bird" rights, which allow a team to go over the salary cap in order to re-sign its own players and pay those players an additional year's salary. That would also apply if Artest wanted to leave the Lakers after three years; he'd get an additional year if the Lakers agreed to a sign-and-trade deal for him.

If he took fewer years, Artest would also be gambling that the economy will improve by the time his Lakers contract expires, allowing him to make up some of the money he'd be sacrificing at the front end of the deal.

But the big news is that Artest is bringing his unique skill sets--and his unique, quirky, occasionally dangerous life--to a Lakers team that was mostly free of drama this past season en route to the franchise's 15th NBA championship.

"Ron's really excited," said his agent, David Bauman, "really jazzed. He's looking forward to playing with a winner."

Assuming Phil Jackson comes back for the final year of his contract, dealing with Artest will be a challenge for Jackson much like Dennis Rodman, who joined the Bulls for the second half of that team's six titles in eight seasons in the 1990s.

Other contending teams like the Cavaliers tried hard to woo Artest, but the opportunity to play in Los Angeles, with its potential ancillary opportunities for income, was a large factor in his decision to go with the Lakers.

On the court, the Lakers are adding one of the league's top on-ball defenders to their team, teaming Artest and Kobe Bryant, who've had their own individual battles over the years. The two have the potential to be a top perimeter defensive duo, much as Artest and Houston's Shane Battier had great success in tandem this past season.

Artest was actually close to reaching an agreement on a contract extension last week with the Rockets, but those plans were thrown into uncertainty when Houston learned that center Yao Ming's injured foot wasn't healing at all, and might keep him out for part or all of next season. Not knowing Yao's short-term or long-term future with the Rockets made them less enticing to Artest, even though Houston could, and did, offer him more money to stay.

Agreeing to terms with Artest effectively ends the Lakers' pursuit of their own free agent small forward, Trevor Ariza, who was not interested in re-signing for the mid-level amount. Ironically, Ariza was meeting with the Rockets in Las Vegas on Thursday while Artest was agreeing to take his old job with Los Angeles.

The Lakers bombarded Artest with all manner of communication.

Bryant, who'd gotten into numerous trash-talking on-court spats with Artest over the last couple of seasons, sent Artest numerous texts since the start of the negotiating period Wednesday morning. Hall of Fame great Magic Johnson called Artest on Wednesday as well. And Artest had lunch this afternoon with Lakers majority owner Jerry Buss.

He was already inclined toward Los Angeles. He'd expressed great interest in going to the Lakers near the end of his stay with the Kings, and was courtside during last year's Finals between Los Angeles and Boston.

The Lakers are the latest among the NBA's elite class to make a major talent acquisition since the end of The Finals. The Cavaliers, who lost in the Eastern Conference finals to Orlando, formally introduced center Shaquille O'Neal, picked up from Phoenix a week ago, to their fans in Cleveland yesterday. The Magic, which lost to the Lakers in the Finals, traded for eight-time All-Star guard Vince Carter on draft night. The Spurs picked up forward Richard Jefferson from the Bucks; the Celtics, Spurs and Magic all are in hot pursuit of Pistons free agent big man Rasheed Wallace.

Boston lead owner Wyc Grousbeck, general manager Danny Ainge, head coach Doc Rivers, Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce all went to Detroit on Thursday to formally present Wallace with an offer for the full mid-level exception. But they left town without Wallace agreeing to a deal. Wallace will visit San Antonio and Orlando next week, according to a source, before making up his mind. Wallace is not likely to visit Cleveland.