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Metta World Peace: Lakers made good decision to waive me

July 19, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Metta World Peace LakersMetta World Peace wanted to retire as a Los Angeles Lakers player, but he concedes the team did the smart thing by waiving him.

World Peace was released by the Lakers this month via the amnesty provision. He was owed just over $7 million for the upcoming season, and the Lakers may have saved themselves double that amount because of luxury tax implications.

Speaking from the set of a Hallmark Channel TV show on Friday, Metta told the LA Daily News that he would have released himself too if he were the Lakers.

“I think it’s a good move,” World Peace told the Daily News’ Mark Medina. “If I was the franchise, it’s different. But not being the franchise, they have to make a decision.

“They saved more money,” World Peace said. “But if it was me, I would’ve made a bold decision and saved more money.”

World Peace told Medina he would have amnestied everyone except franchise player Kobe Bryant (teams are only allowed to amnesty one player, so that would have been impossible). Metta signed a two-year, $3.2 million deal for the veteran minimum with the New York Knicks. He still will be paid the difference between what the Knicks signed him for and what the Lakers owed him.

Even though the Lakers amnestied World Peace and lost Dwight Howard in free agency, they have made two quality additions by signing Nick Young and Jordan Farmar.

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Metta World Peace reportedly signs with New York Knicks

July 15, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Metta World PeaceMetta World Peace reportedly signed a two-year contract with the New York Knicks on Monday. According to ESPNNewYork.com, the first year of the deal is guaranteed.

Over the weekend, reports surfaced indicating the Knicks were World Peace’s top choice, followed by the Los Angeles Clippers. He also made mention of some quirky ideas like playing in the NHL or playing Arena Football, but we all knew that was just Metta being Metta.

Although he would not confirm that he had signed with the Knicks when the NY Post’s Marc Berman asked him about it on Monday afternoon, World Peace tweeted the following shortly after the news was announced.

Knicks coach Mike Woodson recently praised World Peace when asked about the possibility of the team signing him.

“I like his skill sets a lot,” Woodson said. “I think a lot of teams have liked his skill sets over the years. He does a little bit of everything.”

The Los Angeles Lakers used the amnesty provision on the artist formerly known as Ron Artest last week, which seemed to upset him. However, he averaged 12.4 points per game last season and can still play a valuable role at age 33 — particularly on defense. He should fit in nicely as a bench player in New York.

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Metta World Peace expected to sign with Knicks

July 14, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Metta World PeaceMetta World Peace was waived by the Los Angeles Lakers during the week and, if the veteran forward clears waivers, he is expected to sign with the New York Knicks.

The Knicks were mentioned as a strong possibility for World Peace from the moment the Lakers waived him. Al Iannozzone of Newsday says the Knicks are expected to be first in line to sign Metta if he clears. ESPN’s Chris Broussard says the Knicks are World Peace’s first choice, followed by the Los Angeles Clippers as a “distant” second, and then China.

World Peace, who turns 33 in November, can only sign for the veteran’s minimum if he clears waivers and becomes a free agent. He was set to earn over $7 million from the Lakers next season and will still be paid that amount, but it just won’t count against the Lakers for the salary cap or luxury tax.

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Metta World Peace described being amnestied using his favorite burger joint

July 10, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Metta-World-PeaceMetta World Peace has a very unique way with words. The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to use the amnesty provision to get out from under his contract, and we already know how Kobe Bryant feels about it. It seems like World Peace is equally disappointed — I think?

On Wednesday morning, World Peace took to Twitter to rant about how his favorite burger joint raised the price of vegan burgers and did something to the buns. The more he wrote, the more it became obvious he wasn’t actually talking about food.

Leave it to the guy who thanked Jesus for making him lose his teeth at a young age to compare being released to a menu change. While World Peace has been a solid bench contributor for the Lakers over the past four seasons, he is 34, battling injuries, and owed $7.7 million next year. If LA is trying to get younger after losing Dwight Howard, it makes sense that World Peace has become expendable.

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Lakers reportedly will waive Metta World Peace via amnesty provision

July 8, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Metta World PeaceThe Los Angeles Lakers will waive Metta World Peace via the amnesty provision, Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register reports.

According to Ding, the move will happen “barring some late change.” Ding also says the move will save the Lakers $30 million.

World Peace, then known as Ron Artest, signed a five-year, $32.5 million deal with the Lakers prior to the 2009 NBA season. World Peace was coming off an excellent season with the Houston Rockets and took less money to sign with the Lakers. The move paid off; the team won a championship in his first season.

Metta played significantly less minutes in the next two seasons after winning the title, but his minutes and numbers saw a boost under new coach Mike D’Antoni, in whose system he led the team in 3-pointers made and attempted.

Kobe Bryant seemed to confirm the move with this tweet:

World Peace turns 34 in November and dealt with a knee injury last season. The Lakers are rebuilding and must not feel it is worth bringing him back for the $7.7 million he is owed.

When a player is waived via the amnesty provision, his salary does not count against the salary cap or luxury tax. A team can claim the player off waivers for a reduced amount, and the team that waived the player would have to pay the difference in salary. If the players goes through waivers, the team that waived him is responsible for paying the entire salary. The player can then sign a contract with a new team for the veteran’s minimum.

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Metta World Peace had no idea Dwight Howard signed with Rockets (Video)

July 8, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Metta-World-PeaceDwight Howard announced he is signing with the Houston Rockets on Friday. Within minutes of his official decision, you would think anyone who has anything to do with the NBA would have known about it. Either Metta World Peace is just messing with people again, or it took him more than a day to hear the news.

On Saturday night, TMZ caught up with World Peace and asked him what he thought about Howard’s decision to leave LA. The Lakers forward acted like he had no idea, but we have to assume he was lying.

“He’s going to Houston,” World Peace asked. “I gotta call him tomorrow and see, I dunno. I dunno what he does, you know? When the season’s over I don’t even pay attention to basketball, so I don’t know what’s going on.

There’s just no possible way that’s true. Then again, World Peace has said some of the most insane stuff we have ever heard in the past, so maybe he was just on his own planet for 24 hours. On Sunday, he took to Twitter to rattle off some predictions for the upcoming season.

[Read more...]

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Metta World Peace: Dwight Howard and Chris Paul not joining forces

June 14, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Chris Paul Dwight HowardMetta World Peace says Dwight Howard and Chris Paul are not talking about joining the same NBA team, contrary to a published report.

On Friday, ESPN’s Chris Broussard reported that Howard and Paul have been in consistent contact to discuss the possibility of becoming teammates next season. The two will be the biggest free agents on the market. Each player has the option of re-signing with their current teams, and they reportedly have tried to figure out which team could add both of them.

The Atlanta Hawks, who were recently fined for tampering by sending out a letter to prospective ticket buyers saying that Howard and Paul were possibilities for the team, were mentioned as a team that could add both players. But the report stated that CP3, despite being upset with team owner Donald Sterling last month, wants to remain with the Clippers, and would like to have Howard join him. The only way Howard could go to the Clippers would be through a sign-and-trade deal, which the team believes is unlikely.

Apparently none of this matters, because World Peace says the two are not going to team up anyhow. Metta made his comments on “Jay Mohr Sports” on FOX Sports Radio, which was guest hosted by Ben Maller and Kirk Morrison on Friday.

“It’s not true,” World Peace said of the report. “I spoke to both of them. Dwight Howard and Chris Paul were just in the Bahamas doing the Macarena together. They actually don’t want to play together. That’s it. They’re not playing together.

“Those guys, they’re competitors. They don’t want to play on the same team. They don’t need a super team; all they need is themselves.”

I actually would not dispute the ESPN report that says the two have discussed the possibility of playing together. That’s something the two reportedly have been discussing since 2011. Even if the two would like to play together, the likelihood of that happening is small. Unless they took the bold step of going to a team like Atlanta, such a pairing would be difficult because of salary cap situations. I just don’t see CP3 and Howard both leaving their respective teams in LA for Atlanta or anywhere else. I’m very confident both players re-sign with their current teams.

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