Could Orlando Be A Good Fit For Artest?

Ron Artest

Thursday’s edition of the Sacramento Bee quoted the usual ”anonymous source with knowledge of the deal” as saying that the Orlando Magic have made overtures to the Sacramento Kings about acquiring forward Ron Artest. In return the report states that the Kings would receive their former player Hido Turkoglu. This deal if consummated could turn out to be a rare win/win situation for both teams. Turkoglu, is now superfluous in Orlando, with the imminent signing of free agent forward Rashard Lewis who is reported to be signing a deal with the Magic on July 11. Turkoglu and Lewis basically have the same skill-set, and Turkoglu looks to be the man who will heading on the next train out of town. However, Turkoglu could be a valuable piece to a Kings team that is looking to recapture some of their past glory. Nobody has ever questioned Artest’s talent or intensity, he is nicknamed “Tru Warrior” for a reason. But the controversial journeyman is known for his volatility, and unpredictability, on and off the court. Although new coach Reggie Theus was a good NBA player, he certainly was never known for his toughness, and might have problems keeping Artest in line. But even though Orlando also has a new regime coming in they are filled with veterans. New Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy, has experience dealing with big egos, as in Shaquille O’Neal, and players with “reputations” like Gary Payton, and Antoine Walker. Combine that with assistant coach Patrick Ewing, who could probably still break many NBA players in two like a bread-stick, and veteran assistant Brendan Malone, who has the demeanor of a grizzled New York City detective, and you now have a formidable force for Artest to deal with. Magic General Manager Otis Smith said all last season that his team lacked a killer instinct. The man known as “Tru Warrior” would bring that element to Orlando.