AS VEGAS, July 16 — Metta World Peace, a former defensive player of the year, has agreed on a two-year contract with the New York Knicks.

World Peace, whose given name was Ron Artest, confirmed the deal Monday at the Knicks’ summer league contest in Las Vegas.

Details of the contract were not released.

“It was simple for me,” the 33-year-old native New Yorker told MSG Network.

World Peace averaged 12.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 75 National Basketball Association games, with the Los Angeles Lakers last season. He went unclaimed in the amnesty waiver process and became a free agent on Sunday.

World Peace has appeared in 902 games over 14 seasons since being drafted 16^th overall by the Chicago Bulls in 1999.

He was named the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2003-04. – AFP