This one strikes me as "you gotta be kidding", but the latest rumor has Ron Artest going to the Spurs for Francisco Elson, Brent Barry, and a draft pick.

To me, that sounds nuts. Which is what I also said, sorta, when I first heard a Shaq-to-Phoenix rumor.

If Artest can be tamed by Duncan/Popovich, much as Dennis Rodman was tamed by IT/Daly and later Jordan/Jackson, it would be a brilliant move for the Spurs--Bruce Bowen is slowin' down, and Artest is an even bigger psycho than Bruce is. (The only on-court issue with Artest is that he tends to dominate the ball--OTOH, even he might be willing to share the rock if he's sharing with guys like Parker, Manu, and Duncan).

And, the Spurs would be giving up virtually nothing. Barry's so old he played at OSU back when OSU was good at hoops :), and Elson is yet another international interchangeable side of beef; the kind of which the Spurs have zillions in the pipeline.

But...that's a bigif. Artest could just as easily torpedo San Antonio's title hopes as much as help them. OTOH, the worst outcome then would be Popovich puts Ron-Ron on the bench, and simply rides the old guys as far as they can go.

Good trade, or not?

链接:http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/50983/20080220/spurs_closing_in_on_artest/[ed]--title edited to make it clear this is a rumor