# Artest chooses to not opt for free agency, now regrets it.



## Peja Vu (Jun 9, 2002)

> Artest - who has until June 30 to exercise an early termination option in his contract for the 2008-09 season - said he and his agent are not plotting to explore free agency.
> 
> Although his agent, Mark Stevens, did not return numerous calls for comment, his last public stance has been that Artest is "not likely" to opt out.
> 
> "My agent is on a business trip," Artest wrote. "We have not talked about opting out at all."





> Since late last season, Artest has spoken as if he will remain with the Kings for the final year of his contract, worth $7.4 million. In the e-mail, he said the Kings' numerous injuries kept them from making strides beyond their five-game improvement from the 2006-07 campaign.
> 
> "The (ongoing) playoffs just got me thinking that if me and Kev (Martin) (played) the majority (of last season) and Mike (Bibby) doesn't miss all those games, we could have piled on 12 or 18 more wins," Artest wrote. "That would have put us at 56 wins, and that is still a failure."
> 
> ...


http://www.sacbee.com/kings/story/946277.html


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## Weasel (Oct 18, 2003)

*Re: Artest will not opt out, will do color commentary for WNBA's Monarchs*

Interesting decision by Artest, I would have thought he would have opted out and tried to cash in before he got a year older.


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## Basel (Mar 31, 2005)

*Re: Artest will not opt out, will do color commentary for WNBA's Monarchs*

I need to hear Artest on commentary.


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## Deke (Jul 27, 2005)

*Re: Artest will not opt out, will do color commentary for WNBA's Monarchs*

artest is not that bad of a locker room guy anymore. you can tell hes commited to winning. its just not gonna happen in the west right now.


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## Peja Vu (Jun 9, 2002)

*Re: Artest will not opt out, will do color commentary for WNBA's Monarchs*

Agent: Artest likely to stay



> Kings small forward Ron Artest still could opt out of his contract by the June 30 deadline. But according to his agent, he is unlikely to do so considering it could mean taking a pay cut as a free agent.
> 
> "If he opts out, it's obvious we're looking at a midlevel exception deal (approximately $6 million per season)," Mark Stevens said. "Ron fully understands that if he opts out, he runs the risk of Sacramento saying, OK, opt out, you can leave, and we won't get nothing for you, or we can do a sign and trade.
> 
> ...


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## Knick Killer (Jul 16, 2006)

*Re: Artest will not opt out, will do color commentary for WNBA's Monarchs*

Ron Artest doing WNBA commentary? I gotta see this.


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## Peja Vu (Jun 9, 2002)

*Re: Artest will not opt out, will do color commentary for WNBA's Monarchs*

And just when we thought it was settled.....

Multiple sources tell HOOPSWORLD that Ron Artest is seriously considering opting out of the final year of his contract.


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## Peja Vu (Jun 9, 2002)

*Re: Artest likely to stay......but is seriously considering opting out.*

Flip Flop, Flip Flop...

Artest wants to play out final season of contract with Kings



> Sacramento Kings forward Ron Artest, attending Tuesday night's Game 6 of the NBA Finals, told ESPN.com that he's "99 percent sure I won't opt out of my contract" this month to become a free agent July 1.


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## Peja Vu (Jun 9, 2002)

*Re: Artest likely to stay......but is seriously considering opting out?*

"Even if I was to opt out, which probably won't happen, I will never accept a mid-level exception. So people trying to figure out possibilities should get that out of their heads."


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## Peja Vu (Jun 9, 2002)

*Re: Artest likely to stay......but is seriously considering opting out?*

According to Peter Vecsey...



> Ron Artest will exercise his Kings option to become a free agent; Lakers, Spurs and Mavs figure to be most fervent suitors.


http://www.nypost.com/seven/06242008/sports/its_draft_y_in_here__116871.htm?page=2


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## Floods (Oct 25, 2005)

*Re: Artest likely to stay......but is seriously considering opting out?*

I'm actually sort of happy about this. When I consider how questionable Dallas, Denver, and Phoenix looked toward the end of last season (San Antonio's not getting any younger either), there could be some turnover in 5-8 spots in the West this year, and we could be one of the teams getting in there.


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## Peja Vu (Jun 9, 2002)

*Re: Artest likely to stay......but is seriously considering opting out?*

Artest says he IS opting out:



> In an e-mail to the Bee just minutes ago, Kings small forward Ron Artest indicated he may indeed opt out of his contract before the Monday deadline and become a free agent.
> 
> Asked about a NY Post column in which Peter Vecsey said Artest would be opting out, Artest had the following to say.
> 
> "I never knew so many teams would be coming after me," he wrote. "All I can say is I made a hundred degree turnaround."


Artest's agent says he IS NOT opting out:



> "They (teams) are coming after him, but at the end of the day, people make comments all the time, reporters like yourself," Stevens said. "But like I've said, the Maloofs have been good to Ron and to us and we want to try to do the same to them."
> 
> Any chance the agent and the athlete don't see eye to eye at the moment?
> 
> ...


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## Peja Vu (Jun 9, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL: Artest will NOT opt out of the final season of his contract*



> Ron Artest remained with the Kings on Monday, when the deadline passed for the small forward to opt out of the final season of his contract and take his skills to free agency.
> 
> .......
> 
> Artest's decision to not opt out means he will earn $7.4 million in the final season of his contract and become one of the league's most discussed potential trade pieces.


http://www.sacbee.com/102/story/1051605.html


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## Zuca (Dec 4, 2003)

*Re: OFFICIAL: Artest will NOT opt out of the final season of his contract*

Artest regrets not opting out?

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/53330/20080701/artest_regrets_not_opting_out/


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## Peja Vu (Jun 9, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL: Artest will NOT opt out of the final season of his contract*

Yup, not suprising

Artest regrets not opting out



> Artest told ESPN.com on Tuesday that he wishes now he had opted for unrestricted free agency, like Brand and Davis, instead of electing to play out the final year of his contract with the Kings next season at $7.4 million.
> 
> Artest also conceded that his long-term future is likely not in Sacramento, saying via e-mail: "I don't see myself with [the] Kings beyond 2008-09.
> 
> "I think I made the biggest mistake by staying in my contract and I have to live with it," Artest said. "I had some misleading information [in making the] decision on not opting out. [But] I still thank God for all his blessings and being able to play basketball and help people."





> The backstory here involves a conference call the small forward had this morning with Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie and Artest's agent, Mark Stevens. It appears that Artest was under the impression that there was a high likelihood the Kings would discuss his eventual signing to a long-term extension. But after numerous sources have said for months that such a move was highly unlikely, Artest and Stevens had continued to talk as if it was a strong possibility.
> 
> Petrie said in a phone interview minutes ago that he had a "candid" conversation with Artest but that "he wasn't too inclined to (say) much further than that."
> 
> Stevens, who was unaware of Artest's comments, said "I'm not even near a TV, so I can't even respond to something I haven't seen....Whatever his reasons for feeling that way is, well we'll just see. I'm not going to respond to it."


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## Dissonance (Jul 21, 2004)

I have a feeling they're going to deal him.


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## DaRizzle (May 22, 2007)

This is soooo CrazyRon style......how long? 12-15hrs after the deadline he said this??? He has since the beginning of May to think about it...good ole' CrazyRon


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## Peja Vu (Jun 9, 2002)

Artest issues statement



> "I made the comment about making a mistake on my opt out clause because I really did make a mistake. I had wrong info about extension options and it could have cost me a new deal. I was informed that the kings had me in their long term plans so that's why I decided to stay in contract. I just wanted to show loyalty. However when I spoke to the kings that was not an option and I grew frustrated with my decision immediately. I do apologize for being mistakenly frustrated with the kings. It was a mistake that I made and I will move on from. I dont know my future but I'm still a King Haters"


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## LionOfJudah (May 27, 2003)

Sucks for him but it seems like he should of seen the rebuilding writing on the wall. 


Come on down to Dallas Ron! Where we accept troubled players and criminals all the same. 
Maybe, Artest and Kidd could combine both of their guilty pleasures and go into the stands beating fans' wives. :uhoh:


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## Peja Vu (Jun 9, 2002)

Artest apologizes to Kings -- in e-mail form



> Artest and Stevens have declined to discuss specifics of what took place leading up to the deadline. Stevens, who was not Artest's agent when he signed his current contract, said he still believes the right decision was made.
> 
> "Of course Ron would like a new contract, but like everything else, it's a process and we have to wait and go through the process," Stevens said. "If I had to do it again tomorrow, I probably would (not have Artest opt out). I mean I think (the Kings) have great owners, a great general manager, and at the end of the day they're going to do what's best for Ron and for the Kings."
> 
> ...


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