He wants to be traded. He doesn't want to be traded. He loves Sacramento. He loves New York and Indianapolis. He says he can be content and productive anywhere. He envisions a future in a larger market.

That was Thursday.

This is Friday.

Ron Artest? Are you still with us?

As the New Orleans Hornets arrive at Arco Arena, Artest appears to be bracing for a trade and intent on ensuring an amicable parting. He may or may not want to be moved. His moods shift like a swing in a windstorm. "You can't read him," teammate Brad Miller said the other night. "You never know what he's going to say."

Yet Artest is an instinctive, intuitive person. During recent conversations with Geoff Petrie, he began to suspect (correctly) that the Kings basketball president has no interest in a long-term commitment, concluded that team executives, teammates and coaches had wearied of the outbursts and chronic distractions. And in one sense, the volatile small forward is like every other player. He wants to be wanted. He needs to be needed.

"In some situations, it's already known that the great players are going to be there," said the nine-year veteran, who plans to opt out of the final year of his contract this summer. "Dwight Howard in Orlando. … Orlando certainly is not getting rid of him. They let it be known. My situation is a little bit different from a lot of other players. It's not as easy to commit probably to a Ron Artest, and it's totally understandable."

The 6-foot-7 Artest, a muscular, overpowering defender who salvaged a miserable 2005-06 season after being acquired from the Indiana Pacers for Peja Stojakovic, is an ideal short-term solution for a playoff-bound club. He's Larry Brown in shorts and sneakers. The Denver Nuggets, who tried to obtain Artest two years ago, should be interested.

Unlike the Kings, they're in a playoff push, not a rebuilding phase. Four of their starters are 30 years or older, limiting the time to capitalize on a nucleus of Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony and Marcus Camby. Artest, who by NBA standards is paid a relatively reasonable $7.4 million, would immediately improve their perimeter defense, enhance their low-post game and add experience in the tightly contested Western Conference.

In return, Petrie is thought to be interested in a package consisting of young players and veterans with expiring contracts, including promising forward Linas Kleiza ($2.82 million through next season) and Eduardo Najera, whose $4.9 million deal expires this summer. He also remains intrigued by the New York Knicks' David Lee, an Isiah Thomas favorite who is said to be unavailable. Or he could simply allow Artest to complete his contract and pursue a sign-and-trade during the offseason.

"Ron's not in any different position than any other player on our team," Petrie said while traveling in the Midwest. "I'm not going to have a third-party conversation with him every day. There is nothing more to say for the moment other than I'm fond of him, and he needs to keep playing as well as he can, keep making the best contributions he can for himself and the team."

Artest, who expressed his doubts about his Kings future Wednesday to The Bee's Martin McNeal, on Thursday indicated that is the plan. During a 15-minute chat with reporters after Thursday's practice, he spoke in a matter-of-fact, if stream-of-consciousness manner. For the first time, he sounded resigned to the probability of a trade, perhaps even relieved the discussion has become public. And despite his occasional contradictory statements, there was no misinterpreting his respect for Petrie, his appreciation for Kings fans, nor mistaking his gratitude to the UC Davis physicians tending to his cancer-stricken daughter, Diamond.

"I don't have no reason not to want to be in Sacramento," he continued. "There's been nothing but great things for me and my family. (But) sometimes places are not made for certain people. Sometimes people see their careers finishing someplace else. Every situation is different. Everybody is different. The good thing about Sacramento … when I was in Chicago, I left on not-so-good terms. Indiana, I left on not-so-good terms. That's not to say I won't be here. You never know."

But he thinks he knows, and he thinks his future is elsewhere. The best he can hope for now is a smooth departure.