It was no secret that the Kings had attempted to trade Ron Artest for the better part of a year, at least partly for fear of losing the small forward to free agency (2009 offseason). Nor was there much suspense about the identity of the potential trading partners. The Lakers. Miami. Denver. Dallas. Golden State. All had some interest. But the Houston Rockets made too much sense along. To improve their prospects in the Western Conference and a chance of advancing beyond the first round for the first time in what seems like forever, they needed a third star, and probably a veteran. Plus, Rick Adelman is their coach. Adelman coached Artest during his impressive second half of the 2005-06 season in Sacramento. And Geoff Petrie, who is Adelman's longtime friend and former boss, runs the Kings. Connect the dots and you get ... a trade.
So how much of a factor was the Adelman-Petrie connection? There is a hunch, then there is confirmation: During a conversation with the Kings' boss Thursday afternoon, I was surprised at Petrie's candor. Yes, he acknowledged. Their relationship was a significant factor.
"I talked to Rick over there (summer league in Las Vegas)," Petrie told me Thursday. "That's when the talks (intensified). I said, 'Is your interest in doing something serious? Would it be something you would really be interested in?' He said, yes, he was. While everybody (in Sacramento) would love to make the Louisiana Purchase, what this does is give them an immediate jolt, and for us, it's another piece, a kid I think should have been a top-20 pick. I like the Greene kid a lot. Plus, we get another first-round pick, and we have some cap flexibility."
In other words, he likes the trade.
For the history buffs ....
Forgotten everything you learned in those junior high history classes, have you? Just in case: The Louisiana Purchase, which took place in 1803 during the presidency of Thomas Jefferson, accounted for the acquisition of much of most of middle America, including the states now known as Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, most of the Dakotas, etc. Back then, real estate was a great investment: the purchase price was 60 million francs, or approximately $15 million. We definitely snookered the French on that one ....
Meanwhile, while watching the Olympics ...
Chris Marlowe, a member of the Denver Nuggets broadcast team, is a superb volleyball analyst. As he should be. Known as "Cy" back in the day, Marlowe captained the American team that featured a boyish superstar Karch Kiraly, veteran Paul Sunderland (brief successor to Lakers icon Chick Hearn), and captured a gold medal in the 1984 Games in Los Angeles. Though a seldom-used reserve, Marlowe always had the gift of gab.
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.