Ron Artest will have to finalize his decision on whether or not to opt out of the final year of his contract with the Kings and become a free agent by midnight Monday, according to The Sacramento Bee.
Even if he opts out, there appears to be a chance that he'll remain with the Kings. However, he might turn into an intriguing option for a number of contenders looking to take the next step.
He has long been expected to play out the final year of his deal, but in an e-mail to the Sacramento Bee last week, he expressed some change in his decision.
"I never knew so many teams would be coming after me," Artest wrote. "All I can say is I made a (big) turnaround."
Even if he opts ou,t the Kings hold his Bird rights and could execute a sign-and-trade for six years, rather than the limit of five he would be able to with a new team.