I can’t say I am surprised by this move. Metta World Peace, aka Ron Artest became the latest victim of the new collective bargaining agreement with the NBA. The Lakers yesterday announced they decided to amnesty him in order to save $13 million dollars for next season. He was due $7.7 million this upcoming season, which they still have to pay, however it would of cost them an extra $13 million in taxes to keep him on the roster. They cut him mainly to save money for next year when some of the leagues biggest stars such as Lebron and Carmelo are free agents. Read more after the jump.
@IamJOE357
World Peace has been looking into the possibility the past few weeks of playing in China next season, since he pretty much knew the Lakers would cut him. They are going to look like such a different team next season. If he decides to stay here in the U.S., he has said he would like to maybe play for the Clippers, or his hometown New York Knicks. As a Knicks fan myself, even though he is older, he can still play defense and bring toughness to a team and I would love to see it. Jose Morales, a longtime friend and confidant of World Peace, told ESPNNewYork.com’s Jared Zwerling earlier this week that the veteran small forward would consider retirement if a team claimed him from a city for which he did not want to play. “If one of these small-market teams picks him up, he won’t be happy with that,” Morales said. “He doesn’t want to play there.” So it sounds like it is pretty much a major market team or nothing for him. We will know soon. The Lakers will miss his toughness.
