Metta World Peace wants to change his name again. This is proabably not news to many but the newly minted highest paid player in China wants to have a more 'Sino-centric' name. Will he use that name if and when he gets another shot in the NBA?

The report about the name change came from ESPN:

"China Daily reported that Artest, known most recently as Metta World Peace, has decided to change his name to "Panda Friend."

World Peace, who will play in China this season after playing part of last year with the Knicks, later tweeted that his new name is "The Pandas Friend."

The 34-year-old forward will play in China this season for the Sichuan Blue Whales, a league source confirmed. World Peace agreed to a one-year deal worth $1.4 million, making him one of the highest-paid players in China's pro league. The terms of World Peace's deal were first reported by Real GM."

However, there is a possibility that he might go back to the NBA. It's a long shot but considering that they are willing to try anything, nothing is off the table

The LA Lakers' new head coach Byron Scott declared that he wants to prioritize defense.

.@Zach2016Monk #1 priority for this season is to get our team to play defense on a consistent basis every single night. #AskByron

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) August 8, 2014

That's a tall order for the roster they assembled, which is not really built for the task, to say the least. They also have a dearth at the small forward spot--and World Peace could mentor star rookie Julius Randle on the finer points of NBA 'defense.'

Let's see how the Panda Friend saga plays out. The LA Lakers are a team that is not afraid to spend for buyouts if they really want him back. But after the amnesty, the Lakers need to see whether he has gas left in the tank.