Rockets want him back, but Artest to weigh options

[May 20, 2009]  HOUSTON (AP) -- Ron Artest was on his best behavior for the Houston Rockets this season. He was also a key contributor during their surprising run to the second round of the playoffs.

Both Artest and the team say they want to extend their relationship for another season, but the fiery forward also said he'll weigh other options as a free agent.

"You take everything into consideration," Artest said Tuesday, two days after the Rockets were eliminated from the playoffs by the Los Angeles Lakers. "It's hard to get into that right now, on what I'm thinking, as far as somebody making an offer I can't refuse.

"It's going on 48 hours (since the loss), so I really haven't had time to think about it. I'm just trying to stay in the gym and just improving my game for next year."

Artest signed a one-year, $8.45 million contract with Houston last summer. He was the Rockets' second-leading scorer and became the second-best option after Tracy McGrady went out with a season-ending knee injury in February. Artest also brought some much needed toughness to the locker room and proved a reliable one-on-one defender.

The Rockets have about $40 million locked up in McGrady and center Yao Ming alone for next season, but general manager Daryl Morey said negotiating with Artest will be a high priority.

"It's an important issue for him and us," Morey said. "He brought a lot to this team this year. My job isn't Ron Artest, my job isn't who to trade; it's how do I make the roster, as a whole, better? He can be a big part of that. We'll see if we can work it out."

Artest came to Houston still dragging a reputation as a troublemaker. He left Sacramento after a bitter contract dispute and he'll always be remembered for his role in the infamous brawl at The Palace of Auburn Hills that led to the longest suspension in NBA history.

The 29-year-old Artest said he can't change who he is, but felt like he proved to skeptics that he could control his personality and be a valuable player. He says he's matured and rediscovered his love for the game.

"I'm not out there trying to fool anybody," Artest said. "But I think, every team I've played on since I was young, I've always been a leader, always been an asset. I'm trying to get that feel back, when I was playing and it wasn't about money.

"Ever since I started making a lot of money playing basketball, that's when things went wrong, and I kind of had to find myself," he said. "I've been working on that part even more than my game, the mental part of it even more than my jumper, and now it's balancing out. As I continue to get better, the leadership will get better, and then my game will rise right with it."

One of the Rockets' other main offseason concerns is the health of Yao, who broke his left foot early in the Lakers series. He won't require surgery but will need eight to 12 weeks to recover.

Yao is looking forward to a quieter summer than last year, when he rushed to recover from foot surgery to get ready for the Beijing Olympics. He's not on the current roster of the Chinese national team and said he'll stay in Houston for another month to make sure his foot heals properly.

"This summer will be a very special summer for me," Yao said Tuesday. "It's truly a summer that I don't need to play (basketball) for any minutes. I'm not even on the list for our national team. It will help. Hopefully, I will not gain too much weight."

Yao, the top overall draft pick in 2002, has one year left on his contract. Team owner Leslie Alexander said Yao is the only "untouchable" player on the roster and Morey said he's ready to negotiate a contract extension.

"Yao is obviously the cornerstone of the franchise," Morey said. "He had an unbelievable year until the big disappointment at the end. But he put in a full year, a very productive year.

"We're always in constant conversation with him, about all issues. When we resolve things, we'll announce it."

[Associated Press; By CHRIS DUNCAN]

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