The trade that vaulted the Houston Rockets into conversations of elite teams in the Western Conference is now official. Ron Artest is now a Houston Rocket.
The Rockets have acquired the hot-tempered, standout defensive star from the Sacramento Kings in a trade that also added former Georgetown swingman Patrick Ewing Jr. and former Virginia point guard Sean Singletary to the Rockets lineup, in exchange for veteran shooting guard Bobby Jackson, rookie former Syracuse forward Donte Greene and the Rockets’ first-round pick in 2009.
The Rockets then traded Singletary to the Phoenix Suns for guard D.J. Strawberry in a salary cap move. Strawberry is the son of former MLB star Darryl Strawberry, who was a standout player for the New York Mets.
The trade was proposed on July 29, but could not be made official with the NBA before Aug. 14 because of the previous signing of Greene, who had to be a Rocket for at least 30 days before being traded. Greene was a 2008 first-round draft pick.
The addition of small forward Artest should get the Rockets out of their first-round playoff misery. Houston has not won a playoff series in more than 10 years.
Artest will reunite with former coach Rich Adelman, whom he played under while a member of the Kings from 2005-06. Artest, who was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team in 2008, brings strength, scoring and physicality to an often "soft" Rockets team.
Center Yao Ming has fully recovered from the stress fracture in his left foot, which gives the Rockets back the low-post scoring center they make their game plan around. Yao; guards Tracy McGrady and Rafer Alston; forwards Shane Battier and Luis Scola; and Artest give the Rockets a very talented starting lineup.
Houston lost hardly anything in acquiring Artest, giving up an old veteran in Jackson and an unproven rookie in Greene.
Artest should be the missing piece to an already solid Rockets team that went 55-27 last season and put together the second-longest win streak in NBA history by winning 22 consecutive games.
Houston as a city should be excited to see the product the Rockets put on the floor next season, with training camp and preseason just around the corner. Team owner Leslie Alexander is confident about Artest’s character as a player and believes he is as determined as any to bring the Rockets another NBA Championship.
