Ron Artest regrets decision not to opt out

Artest shouldn't feel bad - he's going to make about $2 million more next year than he otherwise might have. Considering his talents and his reputation, being traded won't be a bad thing...the only teams that will make any sort of offer are teams that are trying to make a run at a championship. Most players like that situation. Artest is just a fool.

He said he didn't know that the market was going to be strong until he saw BD and Elton Brand out there. Then again he didn't know that BD was signing with the Clippers until after midnight in NY. I don't think he got the whole market situation, but I do know he wants a long term deal with a team and when he talked to team president Geoff Petrie about it yesterday, that wasn't the case.

His future is not with the Kings. It's fine that he's banking the extra $2 M this season, but what if he goes down with a career-threatening injury? Then he's lost the security of the long-term deal. My point is that his value is more than the mid-level, but with his baggage, there is no guarantee any contender is going to invest that much in him next summer. If he gets traded, he won't necessarily have any control over where he goes. He could have opted out and signed a five-year mid-level deal with the Lakers (or some other contender) and he'd probably be playing deep into the playoffs for the remainder of his playing days.

MAN IF ONLY HE OPTED OUT !!!!!!!!