Be Classy About Trade Rumors

Bird expects to trade with 1 team from IndyStar.com

Larry Bird expects to get better offers for Ron Artest as the Feb. 23 trade deadline approaches...

Bird said he's open to trading for a player at any position. The most likely scenario is obtaining one or two players for Artest, as opposed to a larger deal involving other Pacers. Bird doesn't rule out any possibility.

It's a foregone conclusion that the Pacers will trade Artest. However, the Pacers have managed to keep him dangling on the trade market for a month now. IT'S CLASSLESS. Not to Artest as the Pacers organization has shown him more than enough loyalty, but to the other Pacer players. It's not fair that they have to hear their names (Jeff Foster, Freddie Jones, Austin Croshere) pop up in newspaper articles every day. The Pacers are playing with minus one star for no reason. They have gone 7-6 since Artest has been out. Warriors fans might think that's an okay record, but remember this a team that was trying to make a run at the championship this year.

It's even affecting other teams. Like Charles Barkley said on TNT's halftime the other day when the Warriors got stomped by the undermanned Pacers- the Warriors look like a bunch of young players who are scared of being traded. Seemingly everyone on the Warriors roster not named Baron Davis or Jason Richardson has been mentioned in trade rumors.

Chris Mullin hasn't exactly put out the flames by refusing commenting on the rumors. If the Warriors are trying to pull off a trade, they need to do it before Wednesday's game against the Heat (they have a TOUGH month ahead). If not, then management needs to come out and dispel the rumors. It's tough to focus and play hard in a game when you know at any moment you could be pulled aside and hear "You've been traded." By not putting out the rumors, Warriors management has sent a clear message to its players- "We don't think you're good enough." That's bad for a young team with shaky confidence.

Let's hope the Pacers make the Artest trade soon. It's actually affecting the Warriors.