Larry Bird has quashed the rumors swirling around a proposed trade which would land Peja Stojakovic in Indiana and Ron Artest in Sacramento just as quickly as they started.

"It's all speculation," Bird said. "Peja wanting to be traded has nothing to do with Ronnie. It's all just talk."

The deal would match almost perfectly salary-wise as Artest will receive $6.2-million next season with Stojakovic receiving $6.875.  

"I don't know why people are so quick to assume we'd even be interested in thinking about trading Ronnie," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "The fact is, there are going to be rumors about this and that. If one guy asks to be traded, everybody looks around. Those things just happen."