ARTEST TO HOUSTON
The Houston Rockets acquired forward Ron Artest, guard Sean Singletary and forward Patrick Ewing Jr. from the Sacramento Kings for guard Bobby Jackson, forward Donte Greene and a future first-round draft pick.
What does it give the Houston Rockets
Obviously the Rockets hope they have the final piece of a title puzzle here with Artest, and in terms of pure talent they just might. While Artest isn't a great fit for head coach Rick Adelman's offense (since Artest exels in the half-court more than in a free-flowing attack), he is a supremely good defender and defense has become a calling card lately for the Rockets. The bigger issue is whether he will be a distraction to a team that is led by solid citizens such as Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady, and Shane Battier. Houston is obviously hoping Artest's volatile alter ego won't emerge, but with both him and the oft-in-trouble Rafer Alston in the same locker room the team may have chemistry issues. Youngsters Ewing Jr. and Singleton each have talent and sleeper appeal, but neither is expected to play a significant role early on. Overall, this is a risky move by the Rockets.
What does it give the Sacramento Kings
It's hard to like a deal for any team that loses the best player in a trade, but the Kings solved a lot of issues with this swap. Not only are they no longer beholden to Artest's whims, injury problems, and distracting presence, but they pick up a potential star in rookie Greene, and solid veteran leader in Jackson, and a nice draft pick. They have several very talented star-level youngsters (such as Francisco Garcia, John Salmons, and now Greene) who can replace Artest, they can be more up-tempo now with him gone, and they may be adding by subraction in the leadership department by replacing him with Jackson. It's hard to dislike this move by the Kings.
Fantasy impact
