Weeks after bringing home the Gold, the Lakers now have 1 less Free Agent to worry about, as Trevor Ariza decided to part ways and decline the offer L.A. offered him. Instead the 2009 NBA Champs countered by signing Forward Ron Artest. Artest, who's no stranger to Laker fans will now be paired up with the same man he almost tangled with during the playoffs, Kobe Bryant.
Artest, who was named Defensive Player Of The Year in 2004, proved he could hold his ground, after leading a Houston team without T-Mac and without an injured Yao Ming to a game 7 against the Lakers. However they lost in that game 7. It will be quite interesting seeing Kobe and Artest on the same team, rather than going at it 1-on-1. I'll admit, I'm not the biggest Ron Artest fan, but then again, who is? Ever since the melee at the Palace in Detroit, I've had a bad impression on him. However his act has somewhat straightened up since. Let's just hope Artest knows who's team this is and hope he doesn't show up to practice with the Lakers logo embroidered into his hair.
The signing was made official early Wednesday morning. Artest and the Lakers agreed to a three-year deal worth $18 million. The Lakers also re-signed backup point guard Shannon Brown, early Wednesday morning, however terms were not yet released. Now the remaining question is, will the Lakers re-sign Free Agent Lamar Odom?
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