The Rockets will give up guard Bobby Jackson, who played for the Kings from 2000-05, and another player - likely rookie forward Donte Greene, according to two NBA people who confirmed the deal but spoke on condition of anonymity because no official announcement had been made.
The Houston Chronicle first reported details of the trade on its Web site on Tuesday night.
Artest’s long-anticipated move out of Sacramento probably can’t be announced yet because Greene, acquired by the Rockets on draft night last month, signed a contract with Houston on July 14. A player can’t be traded within 30 days of signing a contract, according to league rules.
Rockets general manager Daryl Morey did not immediately return a phone message. The Kings confirmed that the teams had spoken about Artest.
“We have had some very positive discussions with Houston involving Ron, but no trade is imminent at this time,” said Geoff Petrie, the Kings’ president of basketball operations.
A strong defender, the 6-7, 248-pound Artest averaged 20.5 points last season, his highest since 2004-05, when he averaged 24.5 for the Indiana Pacers. He also had 5.8 rebounds per game for Sacramento last season.
Artest, 28, is as well-known for his volatile personality as his basketball skills. While playing for the Pacers, he was the central figure in the November 2004 brawl with fans at The Palace of Auburn Hills during a road game against the Detroit Pistons.
He was suspended for 73 games, the NBA’s harshest punishment for a fight. In December, two civil lawsuits against Artest that stemmed from the fight were dismissed.
Artest had surgery on his left thumb in April and was expected to take eight to 10 weeks to recover.
After wavering for more than two months, Artest elected not to opt out of the final year of his contract for $7.4 million by July 1. But he immediately announced he regretted his decision, saying the Kings had misled him on their interest in a long-term contract extension.
The trade will reunite Artest with Rick Adelman, who coached Sacramento when Artest was acquired by the Kings in a trade with Indiana during the 2005-06 season.
Artest played 40 games for Adelman and averaged 16.9 points, 5.2 rebounds. He was also named to the NBA All-Defensive first team.
The Rockets went 55-27 last season but failed to get past the first round for the fourth time in five seasons.
The Kings would get Greene, a 6-11 forward from Syracuse who impressed the club in pre-draft workouts. Greene was drafted by Memphis with the 28th pick and traded to Houston in a three-team deal on draft night.
