The Los Angeles Lakers used their amnesty provision on forward Metta World Peace yesterday, clearing nearly $15 million in cap space for themselves. Now, the bizarre forward has an interesting list of options for the future.
"I don't really want to play for anybody," World Peace said. "I don't want to go anywhere. I want to go to China, or coach or play arena football."
Probasketballtalk.com speculated that kind of talk, hinting at potential retirement, is a message to teams without realistic title hopes that they should not go after him. Once rumors broke that he would be amnestied, his top choice was believed to be the New York Knicks.
World Peace grew up in Queensbridge, New York, and starred for the St. John's Red Storm in college when he was playing under his birth name of Ron Artest. His philosophy has shifted apparently, because now sources are saying the Los Angeles Clippers are his top choice thanks to their re-vamped roster, and the opportunity for World Peace to stay put in L.A. as opposed to relocating.
Outside of the Clippers and Knicks, World Peace is believed to be open to signing with the Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs and Indiana Pacers, in order.
World Peace averaged 12.4 points per game for the Lakers last season, and shot 40 percent from the field on 11 attempts a night. He grabbed five rebounds per game as well, but saw his all-world defense slip from his days as a prime stopper capable of shutting down even elite NBA scorers.
Among his list of possibilities, World Peace has already played for the Bulls and Pacers. It is unlikely Indiana would bring him back, due to his role in starting the "Malice at the Palace" in Detroit, an ugly incident which led to World Peace, then known as Artest, charging into the stands and fighting fans with teammate Stephen Jackson.
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