NBA Free Agency Capsules: Artest going to Lakers; Rockets ink Ariza

HOUSTON - Ron Artest is joining Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.

"I am very excited to finally be going to L.A.," Artest said in a statement issued by his agent Thursday night. "For years now, the Lakers have expressed interest in having me play for them, but we could never get the stars to align. I'm finally a Laker and I can't wait to get on the court with Kobe, Pau (Gasol) and the rest of the team, and play for Phil (Jackson). The Lakers really made me feel wanted."

David Bauman, Artest's agent, said the final details are still being worked out, but could be finished as early as Thursday night.

"We have entered into discussions with Ron Artest and it is our intention to sign him to a contract at the conclusion of the moratorium period," Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said in a statement Thursday night.

ESPN.com reported that Artest had agreed to a three-year deal worth $18 million. Bauman would not confirm those numbers, saying the deal was still being negotiated.

"We're not quite there yet," Bauman said. "We're still working on it."

Artest, who played for the Houston Rockets last season, decided to join the Lakers on Thursday.

"I made my decision after I had lunch today with Dr. Buss, and I realized what a great organization I'm joining. I'm very, very excited to be a Laker," Artest said. "I look forward to helping the Lakers defend their championship, and it will be great to finally not get booed in the Staples Center."

The 6-foot-7 forward earned $7.4 million in his only season with Houston, averaging 17.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists. The 2004 Defensive Player of the Year was also a rugged 1-on-1 defender, often assigned to guard the opponent's most dynamic scorer.

Bauman said Artest was looking for a championship-caliber team when he became an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday.

"He wants to win a ring," Bauman said. "He's a winner and a hard worker and he went looking for a team with whom he could find some justification for what he does. He plays his best when he's in that kind of an environment."

Earlier Thursday, Bauman said Artest was being courted by several teams that made the playoffs last season and received text messages from unspecified "superstars" who were trying to lure him to their cities. Bauman would not say if Bryant was one of those players, but acknowledged on Thursday night that their friendship was a factor in Artest's decision.

"The whole situation was extremely appealing to Ron," Bauman said.

The two had a feisty individual battle in the second round of the playoffs, as the undermanned Rockets pushed Bryant and the Lakers to seven games. Artest and Bryant often mouthed off at one another, and Artest was ejected from one game for confronting a referee and claiming that Bryant elbowed him in the neck.

Artest's decision is another tough blow to the Rockets, who acquired Artest in a trade with Sacramento last summer. The Rockets envisioned Artest as the final piece to a "Big Three" with Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, but those two All-Stars are now dealing with long-term injuries.

Rockets general manager Daryl Morey did not immediately return a phone message Thursday night.

He already seemed resigned to losing Artest, flying to Las Vegas earlier in the day to meet with Lakers forward Trevor Ariza. The Rockets and Ariza later agreed on a multiyear deal, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Thursday night. The person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because NBA rules prohibit announcing free-agent deals until next week, said the Rockets offered Ariza the full mid-level exception for the first year, about $5.6 million.

The 6-8 Ariza averaged 8.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists for the Lakers last season and will fit into Artest's role in Houston's starting lineup.

Houston already knows it will be missing McGrady for the bulk of next season as he recovers from microfracture surgery on his left knee.

The Rockets are also awaiting a definitive prognosis on Yao, who sustained a hairline fracture in his left foot in the playoffs. Morey made an aggressive pitch to free agent center Marcin Gortat shortly after the free agency period began on Wednesday.

Artest was on his best behavior in Houston last season, but he'll always be remembered as the central figure in the 2004 brawl with Detroit fans at The Palace of Auburn Hills when he played for the Indiana Pacers. Artest was suspended for 73 games, the NBA's harshest punishment for a fight.

Early in the 2005-06 season, Artest demanded a trade from Indiana, angering his teammates. He was dealt to Sacramento in January 2006 and meshed well with coach Rick Adelman, who now coaches the Rockets.

Two years later, Artest left the Kings in a bitter dispute with the team's ownership.

Source: Rockets agree on multiyear deal with Ariza

HOUSTON - The Houston Rockets have reached a multiyear deal with free agent Trevor Ariza, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Thursday night.

The person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because NBA rules prohibit announcing free-agent deals until next week, said the Rockets offered Ariza the full mid-level exception for the first year, about $5.6 million.

Ariza is coming to Houston just as Ron Artest decided to leave and play for the Los Angeles Lakers. Ariza is likely to take Artest's spot in the Rockets' starting lineup.

The 6-foot-8 Ariza averaged 8.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists for the Lakers last season, which ended with the NBA championship.

The 24-year-old Ariza earned $3.1 million last season and he boosted his value during the playoffs, when he averaged 11.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists.

Ariza was acquired by the Lakers in a trade from Orlando in November 2007. He just completed his fifth NBA season after being drafted by the New York Knicks with the 43rd overall pick in 2004.

Ariza said after the Lakers' championship run that he was hoping to stay there. But his agent, David Lee, told KRIV-TV in Houston that Ariza got the impression that the Lakers didn't want him anymore.

"It was never about the money," Lee said. "It was about being at a place where he felt wanted and appreciated."

Rockets general manager Daryl Morey did not immediately return a phone message on Thursday night.

He flew to Las Vegas on Thursday to meet with Ariza, a sign that he was already expecting Artest to leave.

The Rockets will need Ariza's versatility and perimeter shooting early next season, because they know they'll be missing Tracy McGrady for the bulk of next season. The seven-time All-Star is recovering from microfracture surgery on his left knee and could be out until February.

The Rockets are also awaiting a definitive prognosis on Yao, who sustained a hairline fracture in his left foot in the playoffs. Morey made an aggressive pitch to free agent center Marcin Gortat shortly after the free agency period began on Wednesday.

-- Chris Duncan

Walsh says he could give more than 1-year deal 

NEW YORK - Donnie Walsh says he will consider giving more than a one-year deal to a free agent, following a report that he plans to do that with Jason Kidd.

ESPN.com, citing sources close to the process, reported Thursday that the Knicks would offer a three-year deal to the point guard. The Knicks hosted Kidd and his agent Wednesday on the first day of free agency and are hoping he'll leave Dallas to come to New York.

The midlevel exception is $5.6 million for the first year, and Walsh said last week he wouldn't give a multiyear deal to a free agent unless he could move another contract off his payroll. The Knicks want to be major players in free agency next summer, but still have about $18 million committed to Eddy Curry and Jared Jeffries in the 2010-11 season.

Walsh backed away from that a bit Friday.

"I have a little leeway which will leave me in good position for next year," he wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press. "I know what it is but do not talk much about it."

Also, veteran forward Grant Hill will visit the Knicks on Monday, agent Lon Babby said. Hill played for Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni in Phoenix.

The Knicks have also said they would like to retain their own free agents, forward David Lee and guard Nate Robinson. Both are restricted, so New York can match any deal they receive.

-- Brian Mahoney

Ben Gordon says Bulls never made offer

CHICAGO - A day after jumping to Detroit, Ben Gordon told a Chicago radio station Thursday that the Bulls never made a contract offer even though general manager Gar Forman claimed re-signing him was their No. 1 priority.

"I mean they didn't pursue me at all. They didn't even make an offer so it was pretty much a one-man race," Gordon told ESPN Radio 1000 in Chicago.

Gordon agreed to a five-year deal worth $50-plus million with the Pistons on Wednesday after leading the Bulls in scoring the past four seasons. Under league rules, that deal can't be announced until next week.

Gordon and the Bulls had tried to negotiate long-term deals the past two years. He wound up accepting a one-year tender offer last year and enjoyed one of his best seasons, averaging 20.7 points, and tied a career-high by shooting 45.5 percent while leading the Bulls to the playoffs.

Once he hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent, the Pistons quickly jumped. The Bulls?

"I just told you there was no offer made," Gordon said in the interview. "So you guys can put it together. I'm happy about my new situation now. I'm looking forward to it."

Forman declined comment on Thursday. He said when he was promoted to GM in May that the Bulls wanted to keep Gordon, but that would have probably meant paying the luxury tax and sacrificing cap space they could have next summer. It also would have meant a crowd in the backcourt.

The Bulls are near the projected $69 million luxury tax threshold, meaning they would pay a dollar-for-dollar penalty if they exceed that. They would also forfeit the approximately $3.5 million rebate for teams under the threshold.

They also have about $25 million in expiring contracts, so they could be major players in free agency or near the trade deadline, if they don't make a deal sooner.

Of course, the big trade the Bulls made last winter and now a commitment to defense also made the sharp-shooting Gordon expendable.

The arrival of John Salmons with Brad Miller in the trade with Sacramento gave the Bulls another scorer and more height in the backcourt while sparking the playoff run. The Bulls also said in recent weeks that they were committing to defense - a hint that they were ready to let Gordon go rather than sign him and trade Kirk Hinrich.

"I'm happy about the situation I'm going to," Gordon said. "I think (Pistons president for basketball operations) Joe Dumars is really focused on winning, and his priority is winning a championship so that's definitely my main goal as a pro player. So I'm happy about that."

The Pistons hope to have a replacement for the fired Michael Curry in place next week.

Gordon gave a lukewarm evaluation of Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro, saying he "has a lot of room for improvement" after just one season on a bench.

"He seemed like he had a willingness to learn and try and get better," Gordon said. "I never had any problems with him or disliked him."

-- Andrew Seligman

Elsewhere

The Shaq Show: O'Neal wants a ring for the King

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio - Laughing and loose, Shaq looked right at home.

Shaquille O'Neal and his oversized persona debuted in Cleveland on Thursday with a stated goal for next season. His friend LeBron James craves a championship, and O'Neal is here to serve.

"My motto is very simple," O'Neal said. "‘Win a Ring for the King."'

The 15-time All-Star center with four NBA titles was bedecked in a black suit, pink shirt and pink tie for an introductory news conference that might as well have been billed The Shaq Show.

Acquired last week in a blockbuster trade with the Phoenix Suns, O'Neal was welcomed by a team that believes he can bring this title-thirsty region its first major pro sports crown in 45 years.

Flanked by Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry and coach Mike Brown, O'Neal held court for nearly a half hour as only Shaq can. In front of an audience that included Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, media members, season-ticket holders, corporate partners and kids from a summer camp, O'Neal gave Cleveland fans their first glimpse of what's in store next year - and maybe beyond.

Joined by his wife, Shaunie, O'Neal was calm, comedic and oozing - as always - with confidence. Clutching the microphone and delivering his answers in his unmistakable, bottomless baritone, O'Neal addressed topics ranging from a possible contract extension in Cleveland to James' future to his Twitter page to a budding rivalry with Orlando center Dwight Howard.

The 37-year-old O'Neal has one season at $21 million left on a five-year, $100 million contract. However, early in his remarks he said, "I've got three years left in my career," perhaps an initial attempt to persuade the Cavaliers to extend his deal past 2010.

"I have a lot left," he said. "There's only four or five good centers in the league and I'm in that number. ... I've been in it (the NBA) for 17 years but I've missed three years because of injury. If you do the math, I've still got three years left. You got that?"

The Cavaliers most likely will ride out next season before making any plans with O'Neal, but the fifth-leading scorer in league history made it clear he doesn't want to be around for just one year. Rent-a-Shaq is not his idea of a lasting impact.

"I would love an extension, who wouldn't?" he said, flashing his easy smile. "If they offer me a $35 million a year extension, I'll sign it right now. I won't even read the contract. I'm just here to take care of business and I know can help give the city what it's looking for."

Cleveland, which hasn't celebrated a championship since the Browns won the NFL title in 1964, is the first cold-weather NBA city O'Neal has played in following stops in Orlando, Los Angeles, Miami and Phoenix. None of those is known for its lake-effect snowfall, and Gilbert presented O'Neal with a large pair of winter boots - with the toes cut out - and an oversized shovel.

O'Neal has no concerns about Ohio's climate. His only focus is on warming James with a title.

"It's LeBron's team," he said. "He's the captain. This is the time in my career where I can fit in. I'm now in the security business. My job is to protect the King, and that's what I'm here to do."

The 7-foot-1, 325-pounder had difficulty meshing in with Phoenix's run-and-gun style. The Suns made just one playoff appearance during his 1½ seasons in the desert, but O'Neal is confident he can adapt to whatever offense the Cavaliers install.

"I'm pretty much able to play any style," he said, turning and touching Brown's shoulder. "I'm not here to demand 40 or 50 shots. But I would like 30.

"I'm just coming here to do my part and help a damn good team get over the hump."

The Cavaliers won 66 games during the regular season and eight straight to open the playoffs, but they came up short this June when they were eliminated by the Magic in the Eastern Conference finals. There is a greater sense of urgency in Cleveland to win it all because James is entering his final year under contract and there are no guarantees he will stay.

When asked about James' plans, O'Neal said his Uncle Jerome, who was in attendance, had taught him to "never worry about tomorrow, worry about today."

O'Neal is sure that if James wins his first title in Cleveland, he'll stay around for more.

"In a perfect world and we win and take care of business, he has no choice but to stay here," O'Neal said. "If we do what we came here to do, everything will fall into place."

James has been vacationing with his family and did not attend O'Neal's news conference. The superstars have exchanged e-mails and O'Neal plans to visit James this summer.

O'Neal joked that his trade to Cleveland made his family happy.

"My sons love LeBron more than they love me," he said. "I'm just a little jealous about it."

Now that he's on a new team, O'Neal needs a new nickname. His previous monikers: The Big Diesel, The Big Aristotle. The Big Cactus, Shaq Fu, don't fit his new digs. So, has he come up with one?

"A friend tweeted me with ‘The Big Freeze,"' he said. "I don't know about that one. I've got to go home, play around with the kids and figure something out. I'll have one."

He's already got four rings, winning three straight titles with Kobe Bryant and the Lakers and one in Miami with Dwyane Wade.

"They say things happen in three," he said. "I won with the great Kobe, the great D-Wade and now it's my job to win one with the great LeBron James. We have everything in place. We just got to get it done."

-- Tom Withers

Thunder's Mullens making most of opportunities

OKLAHOMA CITY - B.J. Mullens has seen the worst and made the best of it.

While he was growing up, his family bounced around to a dozen different homes with stops at a homeless shelter in between. He got shuttled around from one school to the next. His brother got in trouble for dealing drugs.

Then basketball helped change everything.

As he kept growing, opportunities started opening up for Mullens. He was accepted to a prep school on scholarship and then committed to Ohio State when he was in the ninth grade and already 6 feet 8.

And now, he's a first-round draft pick of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

"I know there's been some other players that have gone through some worse - and some of probably the same - situations I've been through, but I want to put it out for other kids to see that. It was rough, but hey, I'm here now," Mullens said. "Without that situation being in my life, who knows if I would have made it this far?"

Mullens, a 7-footer, never really had an idol during his childhood days in Columbus, Ohio. He looked up to Michael Redd, another local kid who went through Ohio State on his road to becoming an NBA All-Star. But Redd only provided a glimmer of hope that someone from his area could reach basketball's highest level.

He leaned on himself and the help of friends such as Remon Nelson - whose family took him in for a time - to keep his focus on making a better life.

"I had everything around me that was bad, so if I wanted to do something bad, it was right there in front of my face," Mullens said. "It would have been easy, but I really didn't want that to happen for my life and my future."

Mullens spent only one season in college before declaring himself eligible for the NBA draft. And if not for the 2006 rule that forces players to go to college - or somewhere else, like Europe, - for a year after high school, he would have entered last spring.

He was an even hotter commodity then, before he was relegated to reserve duty for the Buckeyes. He averaged 8.8 points and 4.6 rebounds while setting a record for Ohio State freshmen by shooting 64 percent from the field.

"People didn't get to see me a lot last year because of playing time and my role on the team," Mullens said. "There's definitely things I want to do to show people that I can do that I know I can do. When the time comes, people are going to see it."

Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti said scouts spent several days watching Mullens practice at Ohio State and envisioned a promising future for him. The Thunder traded up from the 25th to 24th pick to get Mullens, also spending a future second-round pick in the process.

"Sometimes, big guys take a little bit longer. We understand that," Presti said. "But the thing that really stuck out to us is we feel like he's got a little edge, a little chip on his shoulder. He really wants to invest and get better.

"It's hard to find guys that size and that athletic, especially in the area of the draft where we were able to get him," he said.

The Thunder also researched Mullens' past and saw that it had created a 20-year-old man who had the kind of characteristics they were seeking as they try to build a young team around stars Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook.

"One of the things that really impressed us about B.J. was his perseverance and the fact that he's continued to have focus and follow his dream. He's put himself in position through some tough times, and I think that speaks to the kind of kid that he is," Presti said.

Mullens realizes that he needs to keep improving, primarily by getting stronger, perfecting his low-post moves and smoothing out his defensive play.

But at this point, Mullens has made it to an important milestone. He stands to make just over $1.9 million in the next two years under the NBA's rookie salary scale, enough to change his life and that of his family in the future.

His real hope, though, is that he can be an inspiration for others in his family - and kids everywhere growing up in tough circumstances.

"You've got somebody in your family that made it through hard times. This can show them that they can also make it if they're going through something bad in their life," Mullens said. "They've got a hero."

-- Jeff Latzke

New Hornets, ex-Tigers set for summer league

NEW ORLEANS - Former LSU players Marcus Thornton and Terry Martin are two of the 14 players on the roster of the New Orleans Hornets Las Vegas Summer League team which will play five games July 10-19.

The team, coached by Hornets scout Rob Werdann, will play games against summer league teams from the San Antonio Spurs, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Golden State Warriors, the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Denver Nuggets.

Thornton and point guard Darren Collison, the two players the Hornets picked up in the NBA draft, are on the roster. Collison, a point guard from UCLA, was picked by the Hornets with the 21st pick of the first round.

Thornton was drafted by the Miami Heat with the 13th pick of the second round, then traded to New Orleans.

They are two of four rookies on the roster, along with free agents Luke Nevill of Utah and Martin.

The roster has four players with NBA experience, including forward Julian Wright, a member of the Hornets last season.

Also on the roster are journeymen Earl Barron, a former Miami Heat center; Courtney Sims, a center who has seen time with the Pacers, Knicks and Suns and Anthony Tolliver, a forward who played 19 games for the San Antonio Spurs last season.

Rounding out the roster are six veteran pros with no NBA experience: Guards Earl Calloway, Jaycee Carroll and Quinton Watkins, forwards Larry Owens and Marc Salyers and center Brian Cusworth.

The Hornets will play all of their summer league games on the campus of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.

Obama: Kobe Bryant no match for Michael Jordan

WASHINGTON - Sorry, Kobe.

President Barack Obama was asked straight out on Thursday: Kobe or Michael?

As in, who's the best? Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, a four-time NBA champion? Or the basketball legend to whom he is most often compared, Michael Jordan, who retired as a six-time champ with the Chicago Bulls and is widely regarded as the best player of all time?

"Oh, Michael," Obama answered in an interview with The Associated Press.

"I mean, Kobe's terrific. Don't get me wrong," Obama said. "But I haven't seen anybody match up with Jordan yet."

Obama, a basketball fan who hails from Chicago, is certainly no Lakers hater.

He picked Bryant's team to defeat the Orlando Magic in the finals this year, and he was right.