The small forward said it was a hindrance to his personal career momentum, as he had led the Kings in a second-half resurgence that season with Adelman calling the shots from his courtside seat. Artest, however, isn't complaining anymore.

Artest was traded to Houston on Aug. 14 and will be reunited with Adelman. The deal, which was agreed to on July 29, brings rookie Donte' Greene to Sacramento along with veteran point guard Bobby Jackson and a 2009 first-round draft pick. Greene was taken by Memphis with the 28th pick, then traded to Houston on draft night in a three-team deal also involving Portland. He is, the Kings hope, their small forward of the future. The Rockets, of course, are expecting the same from Artest. Joining Artest in Houston will be the Kings' two second-round picks, guard Sean Singletary and forward Patrick Ewing, Jr., who were included in the deal for salary cap purposes.

The joining of Artest, center Yao Ming and shooting guard Tracy McGrady will instantly be among the best trios in the league and vault Houston into title talk. In the four seasons in which Yao and McGrady were together, they had fallen in the first round three times and missed the postseason altogether once. Now, anything short of a deep playoff run will be considered a disappointment.

Artest will not only provide the toughness on defense that was lacking in their first round loss to Utah in April, but -- considering he's coming off his first season of averaging at least 20 points per game -- he can also offer a potent third scoring option that was missing as well.

For the Kings, it was yet another block laid in the rebuilding game. They are looking to get younger and more athletic, both qualities they feel Greene (and, eventually, the draft pick) will provide. What's more, the acquisition of Jackson is considered a major boon for locker room chemistry. While Artest was often a problematic presence for Kings coach Reggie Theus and the rest of his team, Jackson -- who was a fan favorite in Sacramento from 2000 to 2005 -- will surely offer a positive presence for the younger talent to learn from.