Ken Berger reports that Ron Artest has come to an agreement to sign a contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. The original source for Berger's story was Artest himself, so Berger did the smart thing and tracked down another source who corroborated Ronnie's declaration.

There has been plenty of chatter locally about trying to bring Ronnie back to the Pacers to jump start the team's chances for the playoffs next season. Sure would've created an incredible buzz around the team but that point is moot now. Ronnie said he wanted to play for a championship contender and he found the ideal situation. The contract details should be interesting.

This could definitely push Trevor Ariza to Cleveland which isn't good for the Pacers. As for Ronnie, the Lakers should be ideal. Even with Yao and McGrady in Houston, Ronnie still felt he should be the lead dog which can be a blessing or a curse depending on the day of the week. Out in L.A., Ronnie knows Kobe has top billing and he'll surely respect anything Phil Jackson tells him. Seeing Ronnie busting his guts in a secondary role could be special as long as he keeps his head straight.