Artest was very unhappy when he was traded to the Warriors, and so was Stephen Jackson, but neither of them said anything about it.
After wasting three years, Artest was no longer that wild beast of a player who had just turned 25, won Defensive Player of the Year, and played in a 60-win season. Stephen Jackson, too, was no longer that coveted ex-Spur championship team member... mostly because both were nearing the end of their contracts.
This season was a contract year for Stephen Jackson, and the next for Artest. Currently, both were making an annual salary of six to seven million dollars, which was too low for their ability to score 20+ points per game. These were the "youth labor contracts" they had when they were at the Pacers, but after these contracts ended, they might not be able to get a higher salary than they were currently earning.
