(My Sportsbook) - Indiana Pacers team president Donnie Walsh decided to get a head start on protecting his team's future by signing Ron Artest and Jonathan Bender to contract extensions.

By getting these deals done, Walsh prevents these two young talents from becoming restricted free agents after this season. Walsh can now turn his attention to re-signing Reggie Miller, Jermaine O'Neal, Brad Miller and perhaps Erick Strickland.

"I did not want to walk into next summer having to sign six guys," Walsh told the Indianapolis Star.

Artest signed a six-year, $42 million deal, according to the newspaper. He also has an opt-out clause after the fifth season that will allow him to become a free agent if he chooses. Terms of Bender's deal were not immediately available, but it's believed to be a four-year pact.

Jeff Foster signed a six-year contract earlier this week for an undisclosed sum. Since Al Harrington was signed to an extension last year, the Pacers are just about done locking up a core of young talent.

"All these guys want to be on this team," Walsh said. "That's pretty amazing for a young group of guys. I like the fact they want to be in Indiana and be part of the Pacers. They see themselves as playing together for a long time."

GRUDGE MATCH

The Pacers face the New Jersey Nets on Friday night for the first time since the teams' hotly-contested playoff series.

Top-seeded New Jersey won Game 5 in double-overtime after Reggie Miller hit a 40-footer at the end of regulation -- a split-second after the buzzer, replays revealed -- and then converted a dunk at the end of the first overtime. New Jersey, however, outscored the Pacers 13-2 in the extra session.

"We've all had it circled [on the calendar]," Indy coach Isiah Thomas said. "Hopefully it will turn out to be one of the better rivalries in the NBA. Both teams are young and hopefully are going to be around for a while. Eventually there's going to be some bad blood between the two teams, and that's a good thing. Whenever you get to the point you start having rivalries, then you've made your mark in the league. Hopefully this will turn out to be one of the teams that doesn't like us."

O'Neal, who claimed he couldn't be stopped after scoring 30 points in Game 1 of the series only to falter in Games 2 and 3, is trying to be low-key entering the matchup.

"I know what I can do and they know what I can do," said O'Neal. "I'll just do whatever I can do to help us get the win. That's all that matters to me. It's all about my team winning."

The Pacers were without Miller and Jamaal Tinsley against Houston on Wednesday due to injuries. Miller (ankle) is expected to be sidelined for the first two weeks of the regular season, while Tinsley (ankle) is probable for Friday's game.