Artest, Brown sign with Lakers

Ron Artest and Shannon Brown, both of whom agreed to play for the Lakers, each signed their contracts Tuesday night with the team after the moratorium had been lifted.

Artest signed a deal for three years, $18 million, but Artest has the option of extending two more years to the deal for a total of five years and about $33.8 million.

Brown signed the two-year "bi-annual exception" for $4.2 million, with a player option for the second year. He'll earn $1.9 million in the first year of the contract.

Free agents were allowed to sign contracts at 9:01 p.m. PDT Tuesday.

The Lakers took both Brown and Artest to dinner but to separate locations.

-- Broderick Turner L.A TIMES

It's sad that Trevor Ariza had to leave L.A. His tenacity helped get the Lakers to supremacy. It's always hard to loose a player that was so integral in winning a championship. I wish Trevor the best and hopefully we will all get to see him in purple and gold again.

With all that said I cant help but be excited about Ron Artest finally coming to Los Angeles. As good as Ariza is, I think getting Artest for the same price was just too good for the Lakers to pass on. Sure it's not the safest choice and many would say "dont fix what aint broke" but other teams around the league are making moves to improve and every one of them is thinking about ways to match up with the Lakers. Bringing Artest to L.A. should help keep those other teams guessing and just a little bit more unsure of what to expect from the Lakers next season.

Artest may not have been the model NBA player throughout his career but the man can play. He will undoubtedly bring that physical toughness that they lacked even though they won the championship. He shoots around 40% from the three point line, can create his own shot(although sometimes forgets to pass) and can usually guard the best player on the opposing team taking some of the defensive strain off Kobe.

For a team that thrives on skill and versatility Artest could be the steal of this offseason. The Lakers have wanted Ron for a long time now and thats understandable as he's probably the best player in the NBA in terms of his ability to protect Kobe.

Last but not least Shannon Brown's re-signing is very good news. Another tough player that isn't afraid to get physical and play hard nosed defense and has continued to impress for beyond the arc. And who could forget about his ability to jump nearly out of the gym and get the crowd going crazy.