Pacers Trade Artest for Peja

SkinsRaj28 · Jan 24, 2006

Long-awaited deal comes to fruition for Pacers

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indiana Pacers have agreed to trade Ron Artest to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Peja Stojakovic pending league approval, ESPN's Jim Gray has confirmed Tuesday.

The deal closes a chapter in the Pacers' latest drama involving the volatile star forward.

Kings owners Gavin and Joe Maloof on ESPNEWS would not comment directly on ESPN's report that the Kings pending league approval will trade Peja Stojakovic to the Pacers for Ron Artest.

Artest was a key component to a team that was expected to challenge for the Eastern Conference crown. He led the league in steals and was the Pacers' second-leading scorer at 19.4 points a game before being deactivated after publicly requesting a trade in early December.

In five years with the Pacers, Artest was an All-Star once and was the NBA's defensive player of the year in 2003-04.

Pacers GM Larry Bird said the Pacers had been interested in Corey Maggette of the Los Angeles Clippers, but there was "no question" that Maggette's sprained left foot affected the process. Maggette averaged 21.7 points in 13 games before getting injured in early December.

The Pacers have lost four of their last five games, including Monday to the Atlanta Hawks, who have the NBA's worst record.

HPark1 · Jan 24, 2006

Just Peja? Win for the Kings if this is the case.

FatTony · Jan 24, 2006

SkinsRaj28 said:
Long-awaited deal comes to fruition for Pacers

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indiana Pacers have agreed to trade Ron Artest to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Peja Stojakovic pending league approval, ESPN's Jim Gray has confirmed Tuesday.

The deal closes a chapter in the Pacers' latest drama involving the volatile star forward.

Kings owners Gavin and Joe Maloof on ESPNEWS would not comment directly on ESPN's report that the Kings pending league approval will trade Peja Stojakovic to the Pacers for Ron Artest.

Artest was a key component to a team that was expected to challenge for the Eastern Conference crown. He led the league in steals and was the Pacers' second-leading scorer at 19.4 points a game before being deactivated after publicly requesting a trade in early December.

In five years with the Pacers, Artest was an All-Star once and was the NBA's defensive player of the year in 2003-04.

Pacers GM Larry Bird said the Pacers had been interested in Corey Maggette of the Los Angeles Clippers, but there was "no question" that Maggette's sprained left foot affected the process. Maggette averaged 21.7 points in 13 games before getting injured in early December.

The Pacers have lost four of their last five games, including Monday to the Atlanta Hawks, who have the NBA's worst record.

Just saw this on ESPN.

Wanted him to go to the Clips bad. Need some defense on that team.

SkinsRaj28 · Jan 24, 2006

Definitely a good trade from the Pacers side, simply because they were able to get somewhat equal value for Artest. For a while there it was looking like they weren't going to get anything...Peja can step in and help right away.

On the flip side, I like the trade for the Kings on paper...but I'm not sure I can see Artest being happy in boring Sacramento. He will get his wish and will get to immediately be scoring option #1 or 1-A. The Kings will be much-improved with his defense and scoring, and better yet, his ability to stay healthy, something Peja had major problems doing.

Brock Landers · Jan 24, 2006

HPark1 said:
Just Peja? Win for the Kings if this is the case.

since he wasn't EVER going to play for the pacers again, a bag of balls would have been a win for the pacers..

A player, ever a broken down Peja, is better than nothing.

oldirtyku · Jan 24, 2006

Peja bulging disk in his back makes him have less value.

RobFunk · Jan 24, 2006

Oldirt is right on.

If it were the Peja from 2-3 years ago this would be a great deal for Indy.

HPark1 · Jan 24, 2006

Brock Landers said:
since he wasn't EVER going to play for the pacers again, a bag of balls would have been a win for the pacers..

A player, ever a broken down Peja, is better than nothing.

some team would've panicked near the deadline and given them a nice deal.

Peja is not enough imo. Unless they are throwing in a 1st rounder or two.

JakeT. · Jan 24, 2006

Kings got a great player and I feel they improved the most but the Pacers also got a great scorer who can help out their team quite a bit.

This improves the Kings to a top 6 team in my opinion.

Pacers are now top 10.

Dubpoet · Jan 24, 2006

Has anyone seen Peja's terrible play of late! Kings are loving it!

OMNIVOROUS FROG · Jan 24, 2006

Pacers got screwed royally, by the Kings. Magette's foot? What about Peja's back? Or his incredible drop in production? Or his playoff disappearances? First they steal Brad Miller for close to nothing, now this, the 4th player to exit the best team they ever had. Only Bibby is left. Peja is in the last year of contract, will search for free agent takers. He is damaged, shop worn and international ball worn. Same thing happened to Bird, those jump shooters get the compressed spines. Jumpin up and down millions of times on the hardwood has that effect. Classic damage goods bargain as Artest is a immature All Star. Physically sound, very tough and strong. A head case for sure, but Kings had to dump Peja anyway. Only benefit was getting Artest out of Eastern Conference. Just changed the entire complexion of the Kings. He will prosper in this division. On this team. Unreal, Pacers shot themselves in the foot bigtime here.

Best Wishes...OF :103631605

WildBill · Jan 24, 2006

Good trade for both teams, both guys wanted out and get their wishes. Didn't Peja want to go to Chicago? Gets to be 2 hours away...

oldirtyku · Jan 24, 2006

I think Kings just commited robbery. Dammit my Lakers were supposed to rip the pacers off..

OMNIVOROUS FROG · Jan 24, 2006

Here's my grade:

Kings A+
Pacers D-

Best Wishes...OF :dancefool

Might even be better than heisting CWebb, with bad immature rep for worn out Richmond.

JakeT. · Jan 24, 2006

My grade:

Kings: A+

Kings were going to lose Peja at the end of the year anyway. Peja has a hurt back and his numbers are dropping. Kings needed a defensive stud for Peja and they ended up with one of the top ten players in the game. Artest can score, rebound, assist, and plays the best defense in the league at his position (well, Bruce Bowen is up there too). Artest is a force and automatically makes a team a competitor. You figure in the fact that the Kings already have some excellent players there and I think Artest is the glue that brings the Kings together and gets them into the postseason. I'd put the Kings in the group right behind the Spurs, Pistons, and Heat. Possibly the 4th best team in the league with Artest providing the D. Watch these guys excel the rest of the year.

Pacers: C

Pacers needed an outside shooter and Maggette's injury looked bad. I think the Pacers could have definately gotten more for Artest but Peja isn't bad. If he can recover from his back injury, he'll be a stud for this team because he can rain down 3's when O'Neal passes out of double teams. Even if he doesn't fully recover, his 3 point stroke is still there and that is exactly what the Pacers need out of him. He might not be able to drive much or play the same level of defense he could at one time, but he can still can the 3. The Pacers will probably lose him after the season but for this year, he makes the Pacers a certified playoff team and a top 5 team if Peja returns to being fully healthy. I'd think the Pacers would be on top of his injury situation so I'd expect Peja to return to form (somewhat) later in the season.

ClipJoint · Jan 24, 2006

The Kings get a solid player (if he decides he wants to play), but who on that team can hit a perimeter shot other than Bibby?

Peja could get back to being a deadly shooter as he will be the 3rd option behind O'Neal and Jackson. He will be much better now that he does not have to create his own shot.

But I don't understand the Pacers willing to take an aging/injured Peja over Maggette.

I AM JUST GLAD THEY DID!!! I would have been PISSED if that Maggette/Artest deal would have gone through.

oldirtyku · Jan 24, 2006

OF, You are 100% correct. This was robbery #2... First was ripping the retarded Wes Unseld off for a young 10 year all star in the making for a 33 year old shooting guard. I just don't get it... Big props to the Kings mgmt team that can pull of these deals...

spreadbeater · Jan 24, 2006

Kings surely got the best of the deal. Even if Artest decides to leave when he becomes a free agent. Peja is often injured these days, plus his production has dropped over the past few seasons. Also, he was never really known as the clutch playoff player type. Also, terrible defender. I would have to think that the Pacers could have got more for Artest. Kings surely got a steal here. :103631605

RobFunk · Jan 24, 2006

I think the Maloof brothers are throwing in strippers and 2 week comps to their penthouse suite.

ClipJoint · Jan 24, 2006

I think everyone is going to be surprised at how improved Peja will be when he is the 3rd or 4th option on offense. He will not need to create his own shot now similar to how it use to be for him with Webber getting a lot of the attention.

Jermaine O'Neal commands double teams...no one on the Kings roster commanded a double team in the post. Brad Miller was solid, but no one needed to double him.

Jackson is big and can slash and he will also get Peja open looks...

Having a pass first point guard in Tinsley (when healthy) will be better for Peja than Bibby also.

I think Peja will get back to his numbers that he had with the Kings when Webber was there...he won't score the same amount (24.2 in '03-'04), but he will get closer to his shooting percentage back then (48.0% back then compared to shooting 40.3% this season).

Pacers Trade Artest for Peja

For G-Baby

New member

"I like ketchup. It's like tomato wine."

For G-Baby

Cui servire est regnare

Rx Senior

RX Senior

New member

New member

W-R-X Champion

Banned

New member

Rx Senior

Banned

New member

LA Clippers Junkie

Rx Senior

NBA and Miami Heat Guru

RX Senior

LA Clippers Junkie

Forum statistics

Share this page