Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson are in trouble with the NBA again.
The central figures in the brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills were each suspended without pay by the league Saturday for the first seven games of next season because of their most recent legal problems.
Ironically, Artest was in Africa on a humanitarian mission at the time his penalty was announced in New York. He is with union director Billy Hunter taking part in the players association’s “Feeding One Million” campaign in Kenya and could be unaware of his suspension.
A response from Artest and the union, including whether they plan to appeal, might not come until they return to the United States.
The Sacramento Kings forward pleaded no contest in May to a misdemeanor domestic violence charge stemming from a March 5 dispute with his wife, the latest in a string of off-court problems.
Placer County Superior Court Judge Francis Kearney sentenced Artest to 100 hours of community service and a 10-day work project through the county sheriff’s department. Artest also was fined $600 and ordered to get extensive counseling.
Jackson, of the Golden State Warriors, pleaded guilty last month to a felony count of criminal recklessness for firing a gun outside an Indiana strip club last fall, when he was with the Pacers. He was ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and perform 100 hours of community service.
“I accept the suspension, believe it is fair and definitely look forward to having this entire process come to a conclusion in November,” Jackson said in a statement released by the Warriors.
Bucks: Milwaukee point guard Mo Williams reportedly agreed to a six-year, $52 million deal, rejecting an offer from the Miami Heat.
“The entire organization made it clear how important Mo was to them and their future,” Williams’ agent, Mark Bartelstein, said in a story posted Saturday on the website of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Miami had offered Williams a five-year, $31.4 million deal, the maximum it could give under salary cap guidelines, the newspaper reported.
Williams averaged 17.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 6.1 assists last season.
Nets: New Jersey reached an agreement in principle with former all-star Jamaal Magloire.
The deal is contingent on Magloire passing a physical.
Magloire averaged 6.5 points and 6.1 rebounds in 81 games last season with the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Nets also announced they had requested waivers on guard Hassan Adams.
Wizards: Unrestricted free agent DeShawn Stevenson and Washington have agreed on a contract to keep the shooting guard with the club.
The team wouldn’t disclose the terms of the deal, but it is reportedly worth $15 million for four years.
Stevenson averaged 11.2 points, 2.7 assists and 2.6 rebounds in his first season with Washington.
Blazers: Rookie center Greg Oden had his tonsils removed.
The tonsillectomy was performed at The Vancouver Clinic in Vancouver, Wash., and the recovery time for the No. 1 pick in last month’s NBA draft is expected to take two to three weeks, a Trail Blazers spokesman said.
