The Lakers have used both spending tools given to teams that are over the salary cap -- the "mid-level exception" of $5.8 million next season was spent on Artest and the "biannual exception" of $2 million next season was given to reserve guard Shannon Brown, who signed for two years and $4.2 million.
Meanwhile, it looked more evident that owner Jerry Buss and his son, Jim, were the ones to fuel the signing of Artest, with Coach Phil Jackson and minority owner Magic Johnson also part of the recruiting process.
Buss has gambled often in his 30-year ownership of the team, and this is no different. Buss dined with Artest a few hours before they agreed to contract terms of five years and $34 million last Thursday. Artest can opt out of the final year of his new contract, which was originally believed to be only three years in length.
Buss wouldn't have green-lighted the decision to acquire Artest if he didn't like the sometimes enigmatic player. Jackson, for his part, seemed intrigued by Artest's possibilities on defense. Artest was an NBA second-team All-Defensive selection last season and has finished among the league's top three in steals in five of the last eight seasons.
"Ron is a talented defender," Jackson said in an e-mail to The Times. "He has a nose for the ball. He will have to relearn the triangle offense, but has been on a team that used that offense in the early part of his career. We have a genuine admiration for his talent, especially his desire to compete.
"Sometimes that desire has taken an unusual course of action on the court, but Ron has quieted most critiques the past season with his steady play in Houston."
Artest was drafted in 1999 by Chicago, which ran the triangle offense at the time, though Jackson was not the coach.
Last season with Houston, Artest averaged 17.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists a game while shooting a solid 39.9% from three-point range.
Artest chose jersey No. 37 with the Lakers because a fan recommended that he honor Michael Jackson, whose "Thriller" album spent 37 weeks as the top-selling record in the 1980s.
Joining the Lakers was a "long time coming," said Artest, who said he had always respected Kobe Bryant.
"It was kind of a no-brainer for me to be a Laker," he said. "You throw Phil Jackson in the mix, who would pass on an opportunity to play under Phil?"
More taxes
As expected, the Lakers paid $7.19 million in luxury taxes from last season, fifth-highest among NBA teams. New York paid $23.7 million, followed by Dallas ($23.6 million), Cleveland ($13.7 million) and Boston ($8.2 million). Portland ($5.9 million) and Phoenix ($4.9 million) also paid luxury taxes.
mike.bresnahan@latimes.com
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