Artest, whose versatility and toughness have made him one of the most coveted and combustible players in the NBA, told CBSSports.com Thursday that he's signing with the Lakers.
"I'm definitely going to L.A. -- to sign, yeah," Artest said in a phone interview. "Lakers, Lakers, Lakers. I'm in L.A. right now."
"I don't really care about the money," Artest said. "I'll play there for nothing. ... L.A. was very interested in me, and they got me."
Well, that shifts the landscape a bit doesn't it? Feels like the theme of the offseason is The Rich Get Richer (in terms of big name talent). I wonder what this means for Odom and Ariza. I wonder who the Cavs will focus on next. In other news, it looks like Gortat is going to the Mavs. Still a lot of dominos left to fall.
At least one person, Kelly Dwyer, thinks it is a bad move for the Lakers:
The Lakers don't need him. His off-court palatables hardly matter. The Laker offense begs for players whose hands don't stick to the ball, and Ron's hands stick to the ball like no other. He's the wrong idea. He's a wasted face. He's the wrong choice.
Let that sink in.
He's the wrong choice.
Laker fans and bloggers are cautiously optimistic but pretty wary as well. This shakes up a championship dynamic. One pointed question: "If Phil Jackson can keep him in line, great. What about the next coach?"