# Agent: Artest 'not likely' to become free agent



## Peja Vu (Jun 9, 2002)

It gets crazier every day.



> "Of course (Artest not being traded) changes a lot of about your perspective; a lot of things change," said Stevens, whose client will earn $7.4 million next season if he doesn't opt out. "Exercising our option at this point is possible, but not likely.
> 
> "It's possible, but it's not likely to happen at this point."
> 
> ...


http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/730413.html


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## Peja Vu (Jun 9, 2002)

> *MARK STEVENS (Artest's agent)*
> 
> _On the general approach even if Artest does opt out..._
> 
> ...


http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/sports/kings/archives/010720.html


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

uhm... huh? So what are Sactown's plans anyway? This team confuses me.


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## Weasel (Oct 18, 2003)

This is confusing, wasn't just a few weeks ago that Artest said he was going to opt out and that he didn't see himself staying in Sac for long.


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## Peja Vu (Jun 9, 2002)

Weasel said:


> This is confusing, wasn't just a few weeks ago that Artest said he was going to opt out and that he didn't see himself staying in Sac for long.


Right after Bibby got traded, he changed his position on being in Sac:

http://www.basketballforum.com/sacr...ing-trade-want-win-championship-sac-year.html

But he will probably change his mind a couple more times before the season is over.


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## Peja Vu (Jun 9, 2002)

> "Go Kings go! Go Kings go!" Artest yelled. "We don't need any cheerleaders. Go Kings go!"
> 
> Yet just minutes later when Artest was asked if he was happy to still be a King, the smile was no longer on his face.
> 
> "I have no comment," Artest said. "The most important thing is winning. That's the only thing that makes me happy. I'm happy when we win. I'm a sore loser."





> But that means Artest, averaging 19.4 points, could leave in the offseason with the Kings getting no compensation. But for the first time Friday, Artest acknowledged he and agent Mark Stevens have discussed not opting out of the final year of his contract.
> 
> "He changed the whole plan," Artest said. "I thought we were going to do it but he said he wanted to go about it in another way. It's up to my agent. You don't know who's going to offer you money. I don't know if anybody wants me."
> 
> ...


http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3259681


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## Peja Vu (Jun 9, 2002)

Ron Artest put a Kings uniform back on Friday, perhaps happy about it and perhaps not, perhaps planning to leave the team in another few months and perhaps not.



> A day after the trade deadline passed without an Artest deal, the forward refused to define whether this was good news or not, saying, "I ain't got no comment. The most important thing is winning. That's the only thing that makes me happy."
> 
> Before the game against the Charlotte Bobcats, Artest sang in the locker room and sounded upbeat in conversation but also noticeably avoided a commitment to the Kings. He would not say he was happy the trade deadline passed. He would not clarify contradictory statements that he probably would opt out of his contract to become a free agent July 1 (Artest's past comment) or probably would not opt out (Artest's agent on Thursday).
> 
> ...


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## Peja Vu (Jun 9, 2002)

Artest says he's content as a King



> "The (Kings) team likes me; the players like me; the franchise likes playing me," Artest said. "There are a lot of good reasons to be in Sacramento still."
> 
> Yet as Artest knows, he might have been dealt if the Kings had received offers they deemed fair value. As it was, the most notable situation, with Denver, was hung up because of a player who isn't even a starter (Nuggets small forward Linas Kleiza).
> 
> ...


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## Peja Vu (Jun 9, 2002)

He scores 30 points, then says he'll likely return to the team next year



> And when Artest sat alone at his locker long after the end, he said these are the sort of fun times he wants to keep happening next season. With a summer fast approaching in which Artest can become a free agent if he so chooses and opt out of the final season of his contract, he said the likelihood remains high that he will remain in Sacramento.
> 
> "Most likely we won't (opt out)," said Artest, speaking for himself and and his agent (Mark Stevens) who said on Feb. 21 that his client was "not likely" to opt out. "Most likely we won't. We're not really worried about the money or anything like that. We're just worried about playing ball. That's how I've been this whole season, just worried about playing ball and we'll see what happens."
> 
> ...


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