Trade of Artest for Stojakovic rejected at last minute

	While waiting for the Pacers to comply with his trade request, Ron Artest has taken the time to check in on a few games in L.A. Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images

Add another chapter to the bizarre Ron Artest Saga.

The Pacers thought they had a deal Tuesday to trade Artest, the controversial small forward, to the Kings for three-time All-Star Peja Stojakovic. The deal, according to a league source, had been agreed upon and was being tweaked before being sent to the league office for approval.

Stojakovic, in Philadelphia for his team's game Tuesday night against the Sixers, had been notified and told to stay at the hotel.

But strange things seem to happen when Artest is involved, and Tuesday afternoon was no exception.

The Kings, fearing that Artest was not happy about playing in Sacramento, decided to back out, according to the source. While Artest technically has no right to block the trade, Sacramento doesn't want to take a chance on a player who is unhappy.

"There is no trade right now and there may not be a trade," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said before Indiana was beaten 96-66 by the Cavaliers. "There's nothing to talk about because there is no trade."

Later Tuesday, CEO Donnie Walsh Walsh released a statement.

"As I have said before, until there is a deal completed, we do not have a deal," he said. "We do not have a deal and will not comment on any premature reports regarding a trade involving Ron Artest."

Artest confirmed to The Indianapolis Star that the deal had collapsed, but left open the possibility that something could still happen.

"There's no deal," Artest told the newspaper by telephone. "It's not that I don't want to play there ... I'm letting my agent handle things. He's taken over things."

Whatever the case, it marks the second time that an Artest trade has fallen through at a late stage. Two weeks ago the Pacers and Clippers thought they had a deal to send swingman Corey Maggette to Indiana in exchange for Artest. At the last minute the Pacers rejected it amid concerns about Maggette's injured foot.

At least Maggette, who was inactive at the time, didn't have to go through what Stojakovic did. The Kings' veteran was getting ready to play the Sixers when he found out Tuesday that he was about to be traded, according to his agent David Bauman. Stojakovic, who has spent all seven-plus of his NBA seasons in Sacramento, was stunned. He notified his family, and made travel arrangements to go back to Sacramento.

Next thing he knew, he was being told the deal was off. Needless to say, Stojakovic was not amused.

"I'm shocked and upset that Peja got treated this way," Bauman said.

Stojakovic didn't play Tuesday night in the Kings' 109-103 loss to the Sixers. He's expected to travel with the Kings for Wednesday night's game against the Knicks in New York, but Sacramento coach Rick Adelman said his playing status is still up in the air.

"You can't expect him not to have feelings about this, but I expect him to be able to handle things," said Adelman. "It's not been an easy situation. It's not the best thing to happen when you're on a six-game road trip."

Artest has spent the last month on the inactive list after he told The Indianapolis Star in mid-December that he wanted to be traded and that he didn't enjoy playing for Pacers coach Rick Carlisle. Indiana's front office quickly said they would try to accommodate Artest's request.

Long-considered one of the NBA's best sharp-shooters, Stojakovic has suffered through his worst season since 2000, averaging 16.5 points while shooting 40 percent from the floor. Stojakovic's struggles mirror those of the Kings, who are in the basement of the Pacific Division with a 17-23 record.

Before the deal fell through, Bauman said he thought a trade to Indiana would have been a good move for his client. "I think it's going to be a great move for Peja. He gets a new start, a chance to play for a great team for a coach who's been successful in the playoffs.

"Things have been languishing in Sacramento. He's excited about getting a new start."

Now, barring a change of heart by Artest and/or the Kings, it appears Stojakovic is right back where he started -- along with Artest.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.