Contractual negotiations are not all about the final number published by columnists on Yahoo! Sports and ESPN.  In fact, athletes often sign with teams that do not make the largest offer.  For some players, though, an extra million means a lot and they will do whatever it takes to get that extra coin, even if it means leaving your hometown, even if it means leaving a team that could repeat as champions of the league.  But what if that team based in your hometown that has the impressive winning record is willing to pay the same amount of money as every other team?  Do you press your luck?  Do you insult the front office in the process?

Trevor Ariza is a great defender.  He showed his skill throughout the 2009 NBA Playoffs.  I can distinctly remember many pivotal steals that helped the Lakers bring a championship back to L.A.  Unfortunately for Ariza, he and his agent refused a deal in the offseason from the Lakers and Ariza is now stuck in Houston, receiving roughly the same amount he would have made in a new deal with Los Angeles.  On the flip side, Artest gets out of Houston, which has many problems to overcome.  Will Yao Ming ever play again?  When is the last time Tracy McGrady had an impact outside of cheering on the bench?  These are now concerns for Ariza and his agent, David Lee, who once felt he had the strong hand in negotiations with the Lakers.

Los Angeles is abuzz over Kobe + Artest.  Kobe has a buddy in Artest, who can give him more of a break on defense.  Additionally, Kobe no longer has to worry about Artest covering him with his smothering defense in any pivotal games.  Los Angeles may miss Ariza, but probably no where near the amount that Ariza will miss L.A.

Maybe Ariza will be happy in his new role with the Rockets.  He should receive more playing time and will be relied on much more than he was with the Lakers.  Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports has a different take:

He’s a good player, but he’ll never be a star elsewhere. He’ll just be another player on another team.

Then again, players move around all the time in the NBA.  If Ariza is not happy in Houston in a year or two, I am sure we will hear trade rumors involving the Suns or Warriors (for some reason I feel as though I always hear those two teams come up in trade rumors).  Or he could drop his verbal commitment to the rockets and sign with the Cavaliers…at least Mo Williams thinks that is what Ariza once thought until he said this.

Football

• For that kind of money, the Bears have to be thinking that Hester can be more than a kick/punt returner [Bears agree to new four-year deal with Hester].
• The Panthers have a nice track record of getting their draft picks signed before camp [Stewart last draft choice to sign with Panthers].
• Lots of performance clauses in this one [Gholston's contract with Jets includes $21M in guaranteed money].
• Derrick Harvey wants a Gholston-sized contract [Holdout by DE Harvey could linger].
• Rashard will be able to earn back the money that he lost when robbed, and then some [Steelers sign No. 1 pick Mendenhall].
• A nine-year deal seems a little excessive to me too [Urlacher says 9-year deal was a mistake].

Basketball

• J.E. Skeets of Yahoo! Sports says Ron Artest is ice cold [Carnival of the NBA #58: Will Ferrell edition].
• Nothing like taking an $8 million shot in the dark [Dumars: Brown agrees to two-year deal with Pistons].
• Seems like a fair price for a guy who consistently racks up double doubles [Okafor, Bobcats agree to 6-year, $72 million deal].
• Darren Rovell takes a shot at guessing which brands will be securing the feet of the class of 2008 [NBA Rookie Shoe Deals?]
• Could a quick fix of the Mid-Level Exception prevent a future Josh Childress from going overseas? [The NBA Salary Cap and Josh Childress and Fixing the Mid Level Exemption]
• Last year’s leader in field goal shooting % is locked up with the Warriors for at least the next five years [Warriors re-sign C Biedrins to 6-year, $62M deal].
• My buddy Jason Levien can now relax for a bit [Forward thinking for Bulls: Deng in].

“My agent at the time [Mark Stevens] did not pay attention to the last minute of the opt-out hour and David Falk and all these other agents pulled a fast one. They were so smart to opt out [at] the last minute.

At least Artest provided some good press for Falk after he received a death sentence by the Los Angeles media.  But if there is one thing that you do not do, it is bring Mama Maloof into the equation.  Once Mama Maloof gets involved, you are asking for trouble.  Here is what Artest had to say:

“I was blinded by friendship. Even Mama Maloof [Colleen Maloof, Joe and Gavin's mother] told me she wanted me to stay. I never knew that meant one more year. I thought it meant several. When Mama [Maloof] talks, you listen, and it’s a must you consider and take heed to what she is saying.

Yeah…at least Joe Maloof is pissed…

“He has to balance the way he acts,” Joe Maloof said by phone. “He’s got to control his emotions a little better. You’ve got to try and keep your cool a little bit.

“Take a deep breath and quit flying off the handle with comments that don’t make sense. I hate to say it that way, but that’s how I feel. It doesn’t make sense to me.”

That’s basically a nice way of saying, “Hey Artest, STFU”.  If there is anyone in the world who NEEDS an agent, it is a guy like Artest.  The question is, who would actually represent a guy like that.  Oh wait, who am I kidding?