Stojakovic to Pacers

The anticipated deal was thought to have been finalized on Tuesday before Pacers chief Donnie Walsh issued a statement before their game against Cleveland saying there was no deal.

The deal fell apart after Artest told the Kings he did not want to play for them, according to a report by sports television network ESPN.

The Pacers have been trying to deal Artest since he publicly requested a trade in December.

Artest was handed the biggest non-drug related suspension in NBA history when he was banned for 75 games for his role in a brawl with fans in the stands during a game against the Detroit Pistons in November 2004.

Stojakovic, a 6-10 swingman from Serbia and Montenegro, a three-time NBA All-Star, was averaging 16.5 points per game in 31 games for the Kings this season. He has a career average of 18.5 points per game, including career shooting percentages of .465 from the floor and .398 from 3-point range.

Artest, 26, played 16 games for the Pacers this season before suffering a wrist injury and then being placed on the inactive list. The forward was averaging 19.4 points per game.

"Obviously, we're very happy about getting a player of his caliber," Larry Bird, Indiana's head of basketball operations, Operations, said about Stojakovic, 28.

"He's one of the best shooters in the league and we definitely feel he can come in and help us right away. We think he'll fit in with our team because he'll help spread the floor and give our big men better opportunities to score."

Pacers president Donnie Walsh said he wished Artest the best at Sacramento. "There's no doubt in our mind he'll have an immediate impact on their team," Walsh said. "We'll miss him very much."