The news arrived on 19-year-old Phil Johnson's phone Tuesday. Ron Artest – traded to Houston.
As Johnson walked through midtown Sacramento in a Lakers jersey, he was still piecing together the details of the trade but said he could hear Rockets fans cheering.
"This is better for Houston," Johnson said. "You have Ron Artest with T-Mac (Tracy McGrady). That's what (McGrady's) been waiting for."
But Houston's gain is not to suggest that many Kings fans weren't rooting for the possibility of seeing Artest in something other than purple.
"Goodbye, Ron Artest. I won't miss you," said Tom Schmidt, 48, a Kings season ticket holder from Citrus Heights. "I think it's better for the team. Let's move on and get better."
If the trade goes through as planned, the Kings will acquire Bobby Jackson, plus a first-round draft pick next season, recent first-round draft pick Donte Greene out of Syracuse and cash considerations.
The buzz was palpable on www.kingsfans.com, where fans sounded off on the trade immediately after the Houston Chronicle broke the story. Judging by the comments on that site's forums, a slew of thank-you cards are in the mail for Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie.
"Ninety-eight percent of those people were hoping it would happen," said Patty Palmer, a regular at kingsfans.com. "I'm really, really happy. He was a distraction in so many ways and so unreliable."
That Jackson could be part of the deal has many ready to welcome back the fan favorite. Jackson played five seasons for the Kings before stints in Memphis, New Orleans and Houston.
"Bobby Jackson is my favorite point guard," said Billy Midzan, 35, as he sat in a midtown bar. "I love all of those former Kings players."
Sitting next to Midzan, Kawika Melendy said he was happy to see Artest go.
"I'm a fan of loyalty and he obviously didn't want to be here," said Melendy, 22. "I like players that respect their ballclub and represent their city. I don't care about their personal lives unless it hurts their team."
Melendy was referring to Artest's two legal issues last year, one stemming from animal cruelty charges and a second for a misdemeanor domestic violence incident. For a while this summer, Artest appeared to be digging roots here, expressing a desire to remain with the Kings as he became a mainstay on the "Carmichael Dave Show" on KHTK (1140 AM).
However, those feelings were short-lived. Artest expressed regret over not opting out of his contract last month when he learned he wasn't in the Kings' long-range plans.
"Terrible trade in the immediate," said Brandon Castillo, a political consultant and season-ticket holder. "In the long run, it's probably good as we picked up something (good in Greene) instead of Ron walking."
Call The Bee's Melody Gutierrez, (916) 326-5521.
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