Indiana Pacers star Ron Artest kicked off a firestorm Sunday, demanding a trade in an interview with The Indianapolis Star.

What is going to catch the eye of Cleveland Cavaliers fans is this quote:

“I would go to Cleveland. I wouldn’t mind coming off the bench behind LeBron James.”

It will lead to plenty of talk-show fodder, but some realism is in order.

First, it isn’t, yet, clear if the Pacers would honor his request.

Second, even if they did, it is highly doubtful that they’d trade him to a team within their own division.

Third, a league insider said the Cavs leadership had serious questions about his character. This is despite Artest’s great defensive reputation and his history with Cavs coach Mike Brown, who was an assistant for two seasons with the Pacers. This is not a surprise; every team would have such issues.

Fourth, it is doubtful that the Cavs would be willing to give up one of their prime assets for Artest. Even though he’s the sort of defensive enforcer Brown favors, LeBron James, Larry Hughes and Zydrunas Ilgauskas probably are untouchables at this stage.

Artest makes just $6.5 million, so he’s easily tradable under league rules. The Cavs’ most tradable assets are Drew Gooden and, perhaps, Luke Jackson, whom the Pacers coveted in the draft two years ago. The Pacers likely would demand much more for the former All-Star and also might want to include the hefty contract of the permanently injured Jonathan Bender.

Of course, there’s a lot of wiggle room in those tenets, and the Cavs will no doubt have internal discussions and likely make inquiring calls to the Pacers like virtually every other team in the league. The national focus will be on the New York Knicks, Artest’s hometown team and where he said in the interview he preferred to end up.

Artest was the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2004 but has major warts. He was suspended for 73 games after chasing a fan into the stands last season, he once asked to take a month off to promote a record that he had produced, and he has had numerous suspensions for flagrant fouls.

Now, he seems like he’s prepared to become a cancer, saying he wants to focus on offense and doesn’t care for his coach, Rick Carlisle.

“I’m so demanding of the ball. It’s not my fault,” he told the Star. “Every time somebody is on me it’s a mismatch. It messes up the offense. I like Coach (Carlisle) as a person, but I don’t like playing for Coach.”

¢ Fiftysomethings: The Cavs are winless when James scores 50-plus points.

They couldn’t win despite his 56 points last March in Toronto, after which coach Paul Silas was fired. Then, on Saturday, his 52 weren’t enough against the Milwaukee Bucks, either.

“I don’t want to score 50 for the rest of my career,” James joked after the game.

¢ Dribbles: James is battling a sore right hamstring and also suffered blows to the ribs and left thigh in the loss to the Bucks. He said all of the injuries were minor. … Damon Jones struggled trying to guard the Bucks’ T.J. Ford on Saturday, and it showed in the rest of his game. He didn’t attempt a shot and asked to be taken out during the third quarter. … Milwaukee native Mike Wilks played a season-high 15 minutes Saturday. … The Cavs have now lost seven consecutive games in Milwaukee and 12 consecutive divisional road games.