While it's hard to imagine that the brothers Maloof would barter players with their hated rivals in Tinsel Town, the fact remains that Artest's recent second-guessing of himself for re-upping with the Kings has created a sense of desperation in Sacramento.

In any event, even the prospect of Ron-Ron playing alongside Kobe Bryant is incredibly intriguing. So much so that the Lakers coaching staff was eager to trade for Artest back in 2006, when the Pacers offered him around the league. At that time, Jimmy Buss convinced his father that Artest was too emotionally unstable even for Hollywood — and Artest was eventually sent to Sacramento for Peja Stojakovic.

If the current rumors prove to be true, here's what the Lakers can expect from Artest:

In addition to his on-court skills and shortcomings, Artest's street mentality has been the one overriding reason why various teams have been reluctant to have him wear their colors. And given Phil Jackson's system of institutionalized unselfishness, the dominant talents, and ego-power of Kobe, not to mention the lure of the Hollywood nightlife, Jimmy Buss' reservations would seem to be well-founded.

However, given that Artest's competitive edge is still razor sharp — and that he's never played in a championship series — it's an (almost) safe bet that he will indeed be amenable to sacrificing his real (and imagined) talents and become an earnest triangulator. That is, as long as he winds up with enough shots (14 to 18) per game to maintain his interest.

Also, Artest is sufficiently street-wise to understand that he must play Robin to Kobe's Batman. The best Artest can hope for is that he eventually proves himself to be so reliable that his number will occasionally come up when defenses gang up on Kobe in clutch situations. This challenge alone will motivate Artest.

After two-plus drama-filled seasons in the Second City, and after laboring for more than six seasons in relative backwaters like Indianapolis and Sacramento, Artest would certainly take full advantage of the extracurricular activities that L.A. has to offer. But as he approaches his 29th birthday, it should be (almost) assumed that Artest would keep his partying both private and under control.

A deciding factor that Jimmy Buss might have overlooked, however, is Phil Jackson's ability to relate to his players. In fact, the only players who managed to resist Jackson's charisma/arguments/cajolings/pleas were Toni Kukoc, Glen Rice ... and Kobe Bryant. Kobe, of course, always parrots the company line but frequently loses his balance and falls from the sky.

But here's the real litmus test of whether or not Jackson can bring Artest into the fold: Is Artest any more emotionally unstable than Dennis Rodman?

Obviously not. Indeed, is there anybody unencumbered by rubber rooms or prison walls who is?

So, then, factoring in all the knowns and all the guesses, the Lakers bringing in Artest certainly involves their taking considerable risks. But if dethroning the Celtics is the organization's uppermost motivation, then it's a gamble well worth taking.

In truth, it's a gamble they absolutely must take.