Bloggers knee-jerking on the phone + roundtable style = RoundCast.
One of the biggest moves of this free agent season went down on Thursday, when it was learned that Ron Artest will be heading to the Lakers. Matt Moore and I break down what is effectively going to be L.A. trading Trevor Ariza for Artest, as it was also announced that Ariza agreed to a deal with the Rockets.
After plenty of Artest talk, we also review some of the other deals that have gone down, and ponder the fates of some other would-be contenders like the Cavaliers, Pistons, Magic, and Celtics.
As we all attempt to grok Ron Artest: Los Angeles Laker, much will (rightfully) be made of the strange relationship Kobe Bryant and our antihero Artest enjoy. Off the court, the stars claim to be best friends. On the floor, there has been some serious (and recent!) bad blood.
But in real basketball results, Pau Gasol might be the most endangered Laker in all of this. Kobe ain't giving up shots to Ron-Ron ... but someone will have to, unless you think Artest -- who has in the past placed himself in the same league as Kobe and LeBron James -- will shave half his offense to become Trevor Ariza II. I sincerely doubt our protagonist will be so generous. So the Laker attacker who requires the ball to be fed -- Pau -- figures to suffer.
The Cavaliers traded for Shaquille O'Neal a week ago, but his introductory press conference didn't happen until Thursday afternoon. And for the most part, it was worth the wait. As we've come to expect when Shaq gets in front of a microphone, there were plenty of interesting and entertaining quotes that came out of his first meeting with the Cleveland media.
Shaq kicked things off by flashing the picture to your right, claiming that when he received the initial call from Cavs' GM Danny Ferry, he had to Google him, and when he did, this was the one of the first things to pop up.
Nice way to break the ice, Big Fella. Here are some more highlights from Shaq's first official day as a Cavalier.
It's July 1st, which means the free-agent season has officially begun in the NBA. While some teams have made legitimate and official contact with players, there are some others where rumors and speculation continue to be all we have in trying to figure out what may be on their minds.
Not every rumor deserves our attention, but a couple that popped up Wednesday regarding the Lakers' Lamar Odom seem to make so little sense, that they need to be, at the very least, touched upon.
Kobe Bryant could have opted out of the final two years of his contract on Tuesday, which would have made him an unrestricted free agent. But since Bryant has no intentions of playing anywhere else, the only reason he would have done so would have been to secure a brand new, max deal with the Lakers.
Bryant decided not to terminate his contract, but fear not: he'll still be just fine financially. Kobe will make in the neighborhood of $23M next season, and the L.A. Times is reporting that he'll likely sign a three-year extension on his current deal sometime this summer.
If I told you that, "Kobe Bryant grew up idolizing MJ," you would undoubtedly nod your head and say, "Yes. I can easily see how Michael Jordan was a big influence on Mamba." But, as it turns out, 24 was also heavily influenced by the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Which seems weird, but, as Holly MacKenzie put it, also makes total sense: Jackson, for all his eccentricities, was a brilliant performer and the best at what he did. So it's not irrational at all to think that his work ethic and dedication to his craft inspired Bryant.
Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.
The only downside of the NBA playoffs is that I feel like I miss some baseball that I would normally get to see. But with the Lakers (sigh) crowned champs now, both Kobe Bryant and I -- he was at the stadium, I was pantsless in my apartment, natch -- got the chance to watch the Angels and Dodgers go to civil war on Sunday Night Baseball.
And what I was treated to was a very impressive showing from my current favorite mancrush, Clayton Kershaw. You might know him as the "next Sandy Koufax" if you're a real devote, but more than likely, you know him as the "inconsistent southpaw who has yet to really flourish in the Dodgers rotation."
This video is the latest offering from the folks at Nike, and features Puppet Kobe celebrating his fourth NBA championship somewhat discretely so as not to upset his friend and roommate, Puppet LeBron. Somehow though, I don't think the real LeBron James is all that broken up about it.
Check out the photo of James (snapped by TMZ, naturally) after the jump, which shows him rocking an LBJ - MVP t-shirt. LeBron probably won't be criticized at all for boasting his individual achievement as he's out on the town, but man -- can you imagine the backlash if Kobe were to ever do something like this?
The Lakers' $78 million payroll (5th highest in the league) was justified with a championship, but ye old shoe is fixing to drop in July. For much of the year, the common consensus had L.A. being forced to choose between small forward Trevor Ariza and bench talisman (slash able starter) Lamar Odom. Recently, Phil Jackson told FanHouse's Tim Povtak the team would try to keep both, God Buss willing.
Regardless, there's the matter of what each should get in unrestricted free agency, whether in L.A. or elsewhere. Ariza, of course, is the young tyrant defender with a new-found deep stroke and athleticism up, down and out the wazoo. (Note: I have no idea where on the body the "wazoo" is.) Odom somehow morphed from the embodiment of unactualized potential into a (gasp) crafty veteran with versatility and smooth moves.
Shaquille O'Neal may be headed to Cleveland or may team with Amar'e Stoudemire to push the Lakers in the Pacific Division next year. Either way, it appears his beef with Kobe Bryant is officially over.
One of the biggest moves of this free agent season went down on Thursday, when it was learned that Ron Artest will be heading to the Lakers. Matt Moore and I break down what is effectively going to be L.A. trading Trevor Ariza for Artest, as it was also announced that Ariza agreed to a deal with the Rockets. 
As we all attempt to grok 
The Cavaliers 
It's July 1st, which means the free-agent season has officially begun in the NBA. While some teams have made 
Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the 
The Lakers' $78 million payroll (5th highest in the league) was justified with a championship, but ye old shoe is fixing to drop in July. For much of the year, the common consensus had L.A. being forced to choose between small forward 
