NBA

Pacers agree to trade Artest

By wire services
Published December 13, 2005

INDIANAPOLIS - Ron Artest's days with the Pacers appear to be over.

Artest, suspended most of last season for his role in one of the worst brawls in American sports, has said he wants out, his past haunts him in Indianapolis and the team would be better off without him.

Team president and chief executive Donnie Walsh said Monday that he didn't like Artest taking the issue to the media first, but he wants to work out a trade.

"I told him, "Look, with your statements, they are at the point now that they are a distraction to the team. I will look to see if you can be traded,"' Walsh said. "One thing rang true to me. I told him: "As long as you're here, you got a lot of baggage over your head. It's worse on you and worse on us.' I'm at the point when I have to get rid of the baggage."

After Artest was suspended for triggering a brawl in Detroit, he missed 73 games and the playoffs.

Pacers leading scorer Jermaine O'Neal said his primary concern is playing Boston on Wednesday.

"I'm not going to answer any more questions about Ron Artest," he said. "Ron doesn't want to be here, so Ron doesn't matter anymore."

He remains on the roster but is inactive with pay for the rest of the week. By then, Walsh expects to have a better idea what he can get for the 6-7, 260-pound forward.

Artest, 26, was a key component on a team that was expected to challenge for the Eastern crown. He leads the league in steals and is the Pacers' second-leading scorer at 19.4 points per game. But he's best remembered for the brawl, and he hasn't been able to escape the reminders.

In an interview with the Indianapolis Star published Sunday, Artest said, "I still think my past haunts me here. I think somewhere else I'm starting fresh. I'm coming in with baggage, but people already know about it and how I'm going to be."

The Long Island City, N.Y., native said he wouldn't mind playing for New York or Cleveland.

Monday's games

76ERS 90, WOLVES 89 (OT): Chris Webber had 27 points and 21 rebounds and Allen Iverson added 19 points to help host Philadelphia win its third straight. After Philly wasted a 10-point lead in the final 41/2 minutes of the fourth, Webber scored the go-ahead basket in overtime and made a key block on Kevin Garnett that denied the tying field goal.

LAKERS 109, MAVS 106: Kobe Bryant's 29-foot 3-pointer with 34 seconds left put visiting Los Angeles ahead to stay.

JAZZ 92, PISTONS 78: Andrei Kirilenko had 22 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, and the short-handed Jazz ended visiting Detroit's six-game winning streak.

HORNETS 91, SUNS 87: J.R. Smith scored a season-high 26, including four free throws in the last 17.6 seconds, as visiting New Orleans snapped a five-game losing skid.

BUCKS 112, KNICKS 92: Reserve Dan Gadzuric scored a season-high 18 as visiting Milwaukee won its third straight. ... Quentin Richardson rejoined the Knicks a week after the shooting death of his brother.

HILL'S RETURN: Forward Grant Hill will make his much-anticipated return Wednesday when the Magic plays in New York. Guard Keyon Dooling and center Kelvin Cato should return a week to 10 days later.

ROCKETS: The club was fined for a Las Vegas trip last week, league spokesman Tim Frank said, declining to disclose the amount. He said teams are prohibited from providing players with any benefits or compensation not included in their contracts.

[Last modified December 13, 2005, 01:31:15]