To his credit, Walsh is recognizing this fairly early. Certainly, he could have recognized it even earlier, before Artest reestablished himself last weekend as a troublemaker. But so far the damage isn’t too great, and there are still nitwits out there gullible enough to think Artest can be rehabilitated into becoming a model employee.

If Walsh does place a call to Isiah Thomas in New York – who, incidentally, is the perfect recipient of this miscreant, because Isiah has never met a problem child he didn’t like – what exactly would he get in return? At least talent-wise,  Artest is one of the best all-around players in the NBA. He can score and he can defend equally well. The Pacers would have to get value in return.

So what is that on the Knicks’ roster? Stephon Marbury? Please, I just ate a little while ago.

Jamal Crawford? Channing Frye? Eddy Curry? A package of players and draft picks?

Getting rid of Artest is the easy decision. What to demand in return is a brutal question, and a significant one, because Walsh doesn’t want to appear as if he caved in to Artest’s request and then got the short end of a deal to boot.

Whatever the outcome, the Pacers will be the better for it. As in the case of the Eagles, if one player gets so out of tune with the team concept, it can destroy an entire franchise. The Eagles are where they are primarily because of Donovan McNabb’s injury. But they would have been damaged anyway, even with McNabb’s presence, because the T.O. brouhaha splintered the team into factions and eliminated the focus on the ultimate goal of a Super Bowl victory.

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There is time for the 12-7 Pacers to draw even with their archrivals in the East, the 15-2 Detroit Pistons. It may seem unlikely, given the roll the Pistons are currently on under Flip Saunders, and considering Detroit’s excellent team chemistry. But if the Pacers get a comparable player in return for Artest — remember, he can be dealt elsewhere; it doesn’t have to be the Knicks – they can still make a run at the Eastern title.

Maybe the Pacers should trade him to Portland. Even if they don’t get equal value in return, it’ll still be entertaining to watch the mushroom cloud.

Meanwhile, whichever team takes on Artest is in for a peck of trouble. He’ll proclaim that he’s reborn, that he’s rejuvenated, that he appreciates the fresh start and will dedicate himself to helping his new team win a championship.

Yet just like T.O. is T.O., Artest is Artest. He will always assess the world in terms of how it benefits him. He’s an attention junkie. At the first sign of dissatisfaction, Artest will cause more trouble. He’ll vent his frustrations to the media and make new demands. He may even ask for another trade.

That’s when Donnie Walsh can cast an eye toward Philadelphia and be thankful he was perceptive enough to tell which way the wind was blowing.

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