NBA Weekly: Ron Artest Signs With Lakers, Zach Randolph Traded To Grizzlies, Celtics Make Offer To Rasheed Wallace, Allen Iverson, Pistons, & More

Ron Artest Signs With Lakers

The Lakers made a huge splash this week by signing Ron Artest instead of re-signing Trevor Ariza. This move caught many by surprise including myself, since it looked like the Lakers were going to re-sign Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza and keep this year's championship team together. The move to sign Artest shows that the Lakers are in a win now mode and are trying to build a dynasty around Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum, and now Ron Artest. There's no doubt that while order than Ariza, Artest is a better offensive player than Ariza is. Defensively I'm not sure Artest is still head and shoulders above Ariza, so there might not be an upgrade there, but he will definitely provide more consistency to the SF position for the Lakers. I also think this move was specifically made with the Celtics and Paul Pierce in mind. Pierce has notoriously struggled mightily when squaring off against Artest and with the Celtics healthy again next season it's very much possible that we could be seeing another Celtics/Lakers finals. I think Artest could give the Lakers some added toughness to match up against the Celtics.

Boston Celtics Offer Rasheed Wallace Contract

Speaking of the Celtics, if they do face off against the Lakers in the NBA Finals next season, not only wi! ll Ron A rtest be on the court, but it's possible that Rasheed Wallace may be as well. The Celtics have offered Rasheed Wallace the mid-level exception in hopes of luring him to Boston. I am personally drooling over the entertainment value of Rasheed Wallace and KG playing on the same team along with Kendrick Perkins. That would be one tough front court with a ton of attitude and nastiness. Not only that, but a Celtics/Lakers series with KG, Pierce, Allen, Rondo, Kobe, Pau, Odom and now possibly Artest and Rasheed would most definitely be a classic and a true matchup of titans. If Rasheed does sign with the Celtics, he would actually be coming off the bench and would probably see a lot of minutes subbing for Perkins. He would also probably see minutes at the 3 and 4. The Celtics wouldn't need much scoring from Wallace, which is perfect because he's never excelled at being one of the main guys, and he could then focus on defense, rebounding, and knocking down open three's. Think of him as a bigger version of James Posey.

In other Celtics news, Big Baby has the Pistons, Spurs, and Knicks interested in him and it looks like it's possible that Big Baby, Leon Powe, and Stephon Marbury may all not be back with them. That would probably leave some room for the Celtics to make a few other moves. A backup point guard would definitely be high on that list if they lose Marbury who just declined their latest offer and has said that he has three other teams interested in him.

Zach Randolph Traded To Memphis Grizzlies

So the Clippers did the right thing by moving Zach Randolph and creating more playing time for Blake Griffin. This is the major impact of this move, but I also think the Grizzlies will do alright by having Randolph on their team. His weakness is defensively, but that might not hurt the Grizzlies as much if Hasheem Thabeet is able to be a force on the defensive end in the paint. I don't expect the Grizzlies to be a winning team ! next sea son, but they definitely have a decent group of young players. I do have a few issues with their squad though. The first is that I don't really think Zach Randolph is going to help them in their rebuilding process, but I think since his contract expires after the 2011 season, then the Grizzlies will probably just hang onto him for this season and then flip him and his expiring contract next year.

The second problem I have with the Grizzlies is that while they have a decent group of young players in O.J. Mayo, Rudy Gay, Mike Conley, & Hasheem Thabeet; I don't feel like any of those guys is a superstar type player that can win you a championship. Mayo should improve, but he is probably a 2nd option at best and Gay is probably a 3rd option. I think Conley is going to be good enough to be a solid PG on a championship caliber team and Thabeet if he's solid defensively is a nice part to have as well. However, at some point it may make sense for the Grizzlies to try and flip Mayo or Gay or maybe even both for a superstar type player who could help them win a championship. That of course would be a few years down the line, but if that doesn't happen then I could see this team peaking as perennial 4 or 5 seed that just doesn't have enough to win it all.

Houston Rockets

A rough week for the Houston Rockets, who found out that they most likely may be without Yao Ming next season and possibly forever if his injury is indeed career ending. They also lost one of their better players in Ron Artest to the Lakers and replaced him with a less consistent offensive player in Trevor Ariza. I know we all severely underrated this team last season, especially in the playoffs against the Lakers, but they just keep losing more and more scoring and at some point you have to figure they won't be able to sustain their success. Certainly a healthy Tracy McGrady would improve the offense, but there are no guarantees that McGrady will be healthy for ! a full s eason. I have to wonder what direction this franchise is heading in and if they are just trying to make the playoffs instead of shooting for an NBA title. It's great to find all these bargins and sleeper players like Aaron Brooks and Carl Landry, but if you don't surround them with superstars then it really doesn't accomplish anything.

Allen Iverson

There has been talk that Iverson may be forced into retirement because no team is going to be willing to pay him what he probably want. Iverson will probably be forced to take somebodies mid-level exception and I think that is what will eventually happen instead of AI retiring. The Bulls and Heat are two teams that are said to be interested in Iverson, who you would imagine might prefer to play in Miami next to Dwyane Wade. However, it's been reported that Iverson wants to play for the Grizzlies next season, which makes no sense to me for either Iverson or the Grizzlies.

Detroit Pistons

The Pistons wasted no time in free agency signing two former UConn Huskies, Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva. Both of them are solid offensively and can score in bunches, but they also are not the best defensive players, and I think that hurts their value to their team. I don't really think they are a good fit for what what Detroit already has on their roster as well, so I would expect the Pistons to be making a few more moves during the offseason. Rip Hamilton and Tashaun Prince could definitely be changing teams in the near future.

Other NBA News

- Marcin Gortat reached an agreement with the Dallas Mavericks and should be an excellent addition to their squad. Gortat really played well off the bench for the Magic last season and he should give the Mavs some more toughness downlow. This could also allow the Mavericks to package the expiring salaries of! Erick D ampier and Jerry Stackhouse in a trade.

- Josh Childress is back on the NBA free agent scene and has visited with the Milwaukee Bucks this week. He could be a decent pickup for a playoff caliber team, but I don't see him making much sense for the Bucks.

- The Raptors have been trying to acquire David Lee, so that's something to keep an eye on. The Grizzlies were interested in Lee too, but decided to trade for Zach Randolph instead after they found out how much money Lee was looking for.

- Jason Kidd is a hot commodity right now as both the Mavs and Knicks are looking to offer him 3-year deals, which seems insane considering he's at least 3 years past his prime already. It's even more insane for the Knicks, who should be in rebuilding/save money for Lebron mode.

- Cleveland has some interest in Shawn Marion and also Anthony Parker and Linas Kleiza, who would all be solid additions to the Cavs.

More: NBA Weekly

Bill Simmons: NBA GM?

I recently wrote an article over at Gunaxin.com about Bill Simmons, "The Sports Guy," possibly becoming an NBA GM. It's more of a "What could happen if he ever landed his supreme gig." It deals with some of his "theories" and his obsession with things like "The Real World" and "Teen Wolf."

If you're interested in reading it, Clck Here for "Bill Simmons: NBA GM?

Kobe Bryant to Stay with the Los Angeles Lakers

No one will be surprised if LeBron James is playing somewhere other than Cleveland in a couple of years. And no one should be surprised at all by the announcement that Kobe Bryant will remain with the Los Angeles Lakers. Because, honestly, why would he leave?

Bryant can opt out of the final two years of his current contract on July 1. And he probably will. Or at least, he probably should. But as for actually signing elsewhere…no sir.

Kobe has everything going for him at the moment. He’s on top of the world after finally winning a title without Shaquille O’Neal. In 13 years, Bryant has won four championships and played in the NBA Finals six times. In the! last 13 years, I’ve attended three NBA games and almost caught a headband thrown into the crowd by then Los Angeles Clipper James Singleton. We’re basically the same person. Anywho…even if Bryant opts out, don’t expect him to realistically even flirt with any other teams. He’s a Laker and will continue to be one.

Lakers Win

After the Lakers blew away the Magic in the first game I wanted to write a post announcing that the series was over. No way the Magic beat the Lakers. I resisted because, as Yogi says, it ain't over till it's over. I also resisted crowing when the Lakers won the second game and went up 2-0. It's hard for a team to come back after losing the first two games.

The fourth game was pivotal. The Lakers went into it with a two games to one edge. If the Magic win that game, the series is tied, 2-2. But the Lakers won in overtime, making it 3-1. The difference between 3-1 and 2-2 is immense. At 2-2, it's a best two out of three series. At 3-1, the team with one win is facing elimination and has to win the next three in a row. But I kept my quiet after game four because of what Yogi says.

Okay, now it's over. Hollywood beat Disneyworld. It took the Lakers five games to beat the Magic. The Magic lived by the three-point shot and died by it.

Dwight Howard, the Magic's center, is the best center in the game, but he has never shown that he deserves to be ranked among the best of all time. Sometimes he disappears in games. He has a million dollar smile -- he really should try acting -- but it's still a question whether he has the toughness and will to be a champion. His Superman dunk in last year's all star game was, as the kids say, sick. At best he might end up basketball's Ted Williams -- a great player whose best moment was in an all star game. (Or in the slam dunk contest on all star game weekend.)

Kobe Bryant proved he has what it takes to be a champion. He will be considered one of the very best that ever played the game when his career is all over. If he stays healthy and productive for another five years, his points total will approach Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 38,000 and some.

Phil Jackson won his 10th ring as a head coach. Derek Fisher was asked what makes Jackson a great coach. He said someth! ing to t he effect that he's not a dictator. He leaves you free to be you and make your own choices. Oddly enough, that's exactly what I like in a stage director. I hate the directors who have all my blocking plotted out before the first read-through.

The Lakers got a little lucky this year. Both Yao Ming of Houston and Kevin Garnett of Boston were injured in the playoffs. A healthy Boston is a much harder team to beat than Orlando. It would be great to see the Lakers beat the Celtics for the championship next year.

The Lakers also got a little lucky when they picked up Trevor Ariza. I think they made that trade mostly because they wanted to dump Maurice Evans and Brian Cook. Ariza looked like he would be a guy who comes off the bench in defensive situations. He played so well that he became a starter. He defends well, he can shoot the three as well as drive to the basket and dunk, and he is the most talented thief in the game. I've never seen anyone steal the ball as well as Ariza.

Maybe the Lakers also got a little bit lucky when they picked up Pau Gasol, the most skilled seven-footer in the league, for, like, nothing. But as either Branch Rickey or Winston Churchill once said -- I've seen the quote attributed to both -- luck is the residue of design. Give General Manager Mitch Kupchak his due.

It's amazing where the Lakers are today, considering the disarray they were in just two years ago, with Kobe demanding a trade.

Next year the Lakers are the team to beat. Every place they go on the road will sell out their seating all the way to those nose bleed seats next to the air conditioning ducts. The opposing teams will play at their adrenaline-fueled best against the champs. The 2009-2010 season will be a gauntlet that will leave the Lakers lean and mean for the playoffs.

The dynasty began tonight.

A Shaq In The Hand's More Than 2 In the Bosh

Plastered on ESPNEWS rolling ticker this morning is the sentence: "Shaquille O'Neal to Cavaliers trade talks heating up."

ESPN's Chris Brossard reported this morning on Sportscenter that the trade deadline talks that spurned rumors of Shaq teaming up with LeBron earlier this season never actually died, and are currently gaining new momentum. While he noted that the deal is not imminent, from all indications former teammates Steve Kerr (Suns GM) and Danny Ferry are certainly talking about the possibilities of it.

Waiting For Next Year while supporting the possible move, posted on this subject this morning saying in part: "...the trade would essentially tie up the Cavs roster for the year and hinder their ability to make any sort of trade during the season (like say...Chris Bosh). This would most likely be the final product we go to war with next postseason..."

Details of the trade involve the Cavaliers moving Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic to make way for the Big Fella.

While it is certainly true, that trading for Shaq and his $20 mil price tag would prevent other possible moves as the offseason and season move forward - specifically the aforementioned Bosh - that really shouldn't matter at this point. You can argue that the Cavaliers are not 'desperate' to improve their roster at this point, but there is no denying the fact that the sense of urgency is at an all-time high.

If you want to argue that Bosh is a better move than Shaq, I'll give you that. But how real is it? I don't see how the Cavaliers could wait on an opportunity like that (Bosh) presenting itself, when it may never come. If this Shaq deal, or a variation of it, presents itself, there is no way that Cleveland cannot make t! hat move . Shaq makes you better right now, and there is no more time to wait on that. It's all in time for Cleveland, and I'll take my chances on the 37-old Shaq.

Finals far from done...

Here are excerpts from a column from cbssports.com columnist Gregg Doyel from Monday:

ORLANDO -- Why is everyone in such a hurry to write off the NBA Finals? Game 3 doesn't tip off until Tuesday night, but if we are to believe what we read, Game 3 is a waste of time. A formality. A condescending 48-minute exercise bestowed upon Orlando to let the Magic make some money in ticket and concession sales.

I'm talking to everyone who has decided this series ended with Game 2, which the Lakers won to build their series edge to 2-0.

The point is, nothing about Game 2 would say, or even suggest, that this series is over. Just the opposite. After Game 1 indicated Los Angeles was out of Orlando's league, Game 2 went the other way. Game 2 showed a Magic team more than capable of playing with the Lakers, and even of beating the Lakers. Yes, Courtney Lee, we're all looking at you.

For some reason, the Lakers lucked out a win in Game 2 ... and people line up to crown them. Like this series is over or something.

Isn't a 2-0 series edge what the Lakers are supposed to have right now?

I would like to point out -- but the Magic showed enough moxie Sunday night in Los Angeles to make it clear that they can win two or even three games in Orlando. And if this series goes back to Los Angeles for Games 6 and 7, even if the Lakers are ahead 3-2, all the pressure ! would be on Los Angeles. Winning one lousy game out of two, at home, would become a referendum on the genius of Phil Jackson and the leadership of Kobe Bryant and the manhood, such as it is, of Pau Gasol. That's pressure.

Only Orlando has the wherewithal to get better from here. Jameer Nelson could play better as he works off the rust, or he could go back to the inactive list in an effort by coach Stan Van Gundy to recapture the chemistry that helped Orlando manhandle Cleveland. Rafer Alston can't play any worse. Mickael Pietrus can't be called for more phantom fouls than in Los Angeles. Dwight Howard won't be held in check offensively throughout this series.

The Magic have more moving parts, is my point. Los Angeles is steady. Kobe has been Kobe. Gasol has played (surprisingly) well. Same with Lamar Odom. Andrew Bynum hasn't done squat, but he hasn't done squat in months. No reason to believe he'll start doing squat now.

Am I predicting a 2009 NBA title for Orlando? I am not.

But is this series as "over" as people are saying?

It is not.

Click here for the complete column.

Here is the complete preview of Game 3 from Yahoo! Sports

The Magic are 4 point favorites

Coverage begins at 9 PM Eastern on ABC.

Cover boy Kobe Bryant loves to play games

Kobe Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers, star will be the cover athlete for 2K Sports' NBA 2K10.

After leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a remarkable 65-17 regular season record and a 1-0 lead in the NBA Finals, Bryant has established himself as one of the best players in the game.

“I’ve been playing sports video games for as long as I can remember and honestly, I’ve never seen one come so close to replicating real basketball," Bryant said. "What 2K Sports has done is truly incredible. (They are) constantly improving and adding something new to their game every year that makes them better and better, and that’s exactly what I try to do each season with my game. It’s as if 2K Sports has been on a sports video game championship run for several years now, and I’m not even sure there’s a word for that kind of dominance.”

To support this announcement, 2K Sports brought on legendary, award-winning film director and die-hard New York Knicks fan, Spike Lee, to produce an exclusive TV spot that aired Wednesday night to reveal Kobe Bryant as the cover athlete for NBA 2K10. Lee, who recently directed the highly publicized documentary on Kobe Bryant, Kobe Doin’ Work (ESPN Films), is famously known for his intense love and passion for the game of basketball.

“It's quite obvious why 2K Sports put Kobe Bryant on the cover of NBA 2K10, which is the best NBA video game,” said Lee, whose recent documentary on Bryant has earned high praise. “One day Kobe and I will go 1 on 1 playing NBA 2K10.”

In conjunction with the reveal of Bryant as the cover athlete for NBA 2K10, 2K Sports will invite fans to vote on their choice for the official box cover. A dedicated voting site will offer fans a selection of NBA 2K10 box covers to choose from, and the voting period is open now through June 15. The box cover that receives the most votes at the end of the voting period will be unveiled as the cover of NBA 2K10 on June 16th. More ! informat ion on voting can be found at the official NBA 2K10 voting site, www.2ksports.com/vote.