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In a free-agent swap of forwards, the Lakers reached an agreement with Houston Rockets forward Ron Artest and the Rockets have reached agreement with Trevor Ariza .
Artest said Thursday he has agreed to a contract that will make him a Laker next season.
"I'm definitely going to L.A. -- to sign, yeah," Artest told CBSSports.com. "Lakers, Lakers, Lakers. I'm in L.A. right now."
Artest, 29, said he met with Lakers owner Jerry Buss and spoke with coach Phil Jackson and general manager Mitch Kupchak before Thursday afternoon.
Teams cannot comment on pending deals -- contracts cannot be signed until Wednesday -- but Artest's agent, David Bauman , told The Orange County Register the deal was for five years and between $34 million and $35 million.
"I don't care about the money," Artest said. "I'll play there for nothing. L.A. was very interested in me, and they got me."
The 6-foot-7 forward earned $7.4 million in his only season with Houston, averaging 17.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists. The 2004 Defensive Player of the Year was also a rugged defender, often assigned to guard the opponent's most dynamic scorer.
Bauman said Artest was looking for a championship-caliber team when he became an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday, and the Lakers were one of his top choices.
"He wants to win a ring," Bauman said. "He's a winner and a hard worker and he went looking for a team with whom he could find some justification for what he does. He plays his best when he's in that kind of an environment."
The addition of Artest ended L.A.'s pursuit of Ariza.
"I understand that they did sign Ron Artest," Ariza said. "They did what they had to do. I understand it's a business."
Ariza later agreed to a five-year deal with the Rockets for about $33 million -- roughly the same amount that the Lakers had offered in their effort to retain him -- according to the Los Angeles Times .
"I had to do what was best for me and family," Ariza said. "I am happy with my decision. I'm glad this all worked out. The Rockets are going to give me a chance to improve my game and that's all you can ask for."
The 6-foot-8 Ariza averaged 8.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists for the Lakers last season, which ended with the NBA championship. He earned $3.1 million last season and boosted his value during the playoffs, when he averaged 11.3 points.
Ariza's agent, David Lee , said the 24-year-old forward passed up a more lucrative contract offer from another team with salary-cap space. "We decided to go with Houston anyway," Lee told the Times . "It was never about the money. It was about going someplace where you felt appreciated."
"Trevor wants the fans to know that this is not a matter of greed," Lee added to The Register .