Ariza's Agent: "It was about going someplace where you felt appreciated."

[duncan228]

This seems to belong here.

Ariza Made Huge Mistake In Turning Down Laker Offer
Tim Chisholm

Sometimes you don't know how good you had it until you don't have it anymore. Playing with a team like the Lakers is a privilege for so many reasons, not the least of which is playing for perhaps the best coach in NBA history and alongside one of the greatest players to ever lace 'em up. They are a franchise that measures success by les and les alone, and they are a club that tends to win them in bunches.

However, Trevor Ariza (or his agent, at least) was so insulted that the Lakers were only offering their mid-level exception to retain their starting small forward that he balked and stormed out of the room. Now the Lakers have acquired Ron Artest, a better player in just about every regard except for age, for that same offer and Ariza will be lucky to earn a penny more than the Lakers' submission on the open market.

Brilliant move.

Here is the cold, hard fact about Trevor Ariza: He is a mid-level player. He doesn't have much scoring prowess, he's surprisingly earthbound for such a super athlete, and his defence is really no better than that of, say, Dahntay Jones. He fit into the Lakers' system like a glove, though, and sometimes it takes a savvy player to realize that he's made to look as good as he does because he's the fourth (or fifth) best player on an insanely deep team (right Ben Wallace?). When Kobe, Pau and Odom are doing the heavy lifting, all a player like Ariza has to do is hit the open spot on the floor, box out and run. Heck, even if he's charged with keeping pace with the opposition's best perimeter option, he still isn't the kind of player who can shut him down, he's just asked to slow his role and stay in front of him. Phil Jackson is a master at utilizing his role players and making them invaluable and very few players have repeated their under-Phil success post-Phil.

Now Ariza has to go crawling around the league trying to find a team that will pay him the mid-level exception (because that's probably all he's gonna get) just to save face. The Lakers have already shrugged off his defection – they got Artest – and now it's up to Ariza to try and act as though he hasn't just made the biggest mistake of his career.

There are a few teams where he could be of help while still maintaining the possibility of Lakers-like success.

Houston, who just lost Artest, would love to add a replacement, but if Yao's injury is as bad as some suggest, and if McGrady never wears Houston red again, then the Rockets are going to be hitting rebuilding before Ariza hits year two of his deal.

Perhaps Cleveland, who lost out on the Artest bidding, would make a nice fit. Of course, he'd be a reserve in Cleveland because of LeBron starting at his position, but if the team really wants to play more of James at power forward, then Ariza will see his share of court time. Still, the team is looking first for a mobile power forward first, but Ariza isn't out of the running yet.

Beyond those teams, things get sketchier. Clearly Detroit doesn't need him, and neither does Orlando. Washington is loaded at the position, and Miami is more focused on point guards. Portland is running unopposed for Turkoglu at the minute, and it looks as though there won't be any impediments for the Raptors resigning Marion, either. Denver wants to lock up their own free agents while trying to stay out of the luxury tax, and San Antonio is already there after trading for Richard Jefferson. Philly, Oklahoma City, Golden State, Charlotte, Indiana, Chicago and Memphis are all stocked up at his position, and New Orleans, New Jersey, New York and Phoenix are looking to shed salary, not absorb it.

So whom does that leave? Atlanta might bite if they lose Marvin Williams, and the Timberwolves should definitely put in a call. Indiana and Milwaukee might show some interest if he's willing to go below the mid-level, which isn't likely. Sacramento might have some interest in moving Nocioni to the bench, and you can never rule out Dallas in any free agent scenario.

Here's the thing with turning up your nose at the Lakers' offer; if you're gonna do it, make sure that A: you have them backed into a corner, and B: you have a reasonable exit strategy if they balk. In this case, the Lakers made an offer perfectly in line with Ariza's value, his agent says they should have overpaid as a sign of respect (huh?) and now the Lakers have upgraded their position and Ariza's...well, I guess we'll soon see what the future holds for Ariza. If it's a return trip to the Finals I'll be eating crow, but as of right now it doesn't look like crow is on the menu.

[Allanon]

Then it's not a bluff. A bluff is when you say you're going to do something, and don't. You back down and come off your position. If he said EXACTLY what he said, and Ariza returned to LA, that's a bluff.

Now, leaving may be a mistake, but that's not the same thing as a bluff, and it remains to be seen if it is, in fact, a mistake.

In this case, Jerry Buss called his bluff by reaching an agreement with RonRon so David Lee had to show his cards (sign Ariza in Houston).

If you bluff and Buss calls, there's nothing left to do but show the cards.

As lakaluva posted, Ariza is dazed and confused and wondering "WTF just happened?"

[Muser]

not being appreciated, i'd happily stay with a team that are the favourites to win the le and get payed $5 mil a year for it.

[TheMACHINE]

Then it's not a bluff. A bluff is when you say you're going to do something, and don't. You back down and come off your position. If he said EXACTLY what he said, and Ariza returned to LA, that's a bluff.

Now, leaving may be a mistake, but that's not the same thing as a bluff, and it remains to be seen if it is, in fact, a mistake.

hence..a BLUFF GONE WRONG. He was bluffing and he showed his cards. And his cards were the same price but in Houston. LOL

In poker..i can pretend i have pocket aces, but i really have a 2-7. If he calls it and beats me...then i had a bluff that gone wrong. Its still a bluff. I still lose...ariza still loses.

[LaMarcus Bryant]

Then it's not a bluff. A bluff is when you say you're going to do something, and don't. You back down and come off your position. If he said EXACTLY what he said, and Ariza returned to LA, that's a bluff.

Now, leaving may be a mistake, but that's not the same thing as a bluff, and it remains to be seen if it is, in fact, a mistake.

You are trying to talk sense with a 16 year old kobe homer who posts on a spurs forum.

[TheMACHINE]

You are trying to talk sense with a 16 year old kobe homer who posts on a spurs forum.

The only difference is that his argument doesnt make sense.

[Bob Lanier]

fourth (or fifth) best player on an insanely deep team (right Ben Wallace?)

Idiocy.

[Fabbs]

You are trying to talk sense with a 16 year old kobe homer who posts on a spurs forum.

Don't understand why Ariza didn't choose to go to a le contender, say Cleveland.

[lefty]

I fail to see how Ariza could make the Rockets better, the rockets need an offensive minded wing, not a role player. I think Trevor would have been a great fit in Cleveland.

1 step at a time

They will tank next season and sign other FA's

[JustBlaze]

Dude looks so depressed there.

[TheMACHINE]

Dude looks so depressed there.

based on his chip stack, i bet he was.

[Tully365]

I think this was an emotional response from Ariza after feeling he was disrespected by the Lakers, but with potential contenders interested I don't get going to Houston-- their all-star center might have a career ending injury, their all-star SG is returning from microfracture surgery, and Artest is gone too. It's going to be a serious jolt of reality going from NBA champ to a rebuilding team in the WC.

[lefty]

Dude looks so depressed there.

He just lost all his Laker money.

" , how am I going to pay them now? "

[TheMACHINE]

I think this was an emotional response from Ariza after feeling he was disrespected by the Lakers, but with potential contenders interested I don't get going to Houston-- their all-star center might have a career ending injury, their all-star SG is returning from microfracture surgery, and Artest is gone too. It's going to be a serious jolt of reality going from NBA champ to a rebuilding team in the WC.

5 year contract

[kingmalaki]

What team doesn't offer you a chance to improve your game?

The ones where you will be a 4th option no matter what, and splitting time with Lamar Odom. As long as Kobe, Gasol and Bynum are in LA, Ariza will never get to expand his role.

[kingmalaki]

I think this was an emotional response from Ariza after feeling he was disrespected by the Lakers, but with potential contenders interested I don't get going to Houston-- their all-star center might have a career ending injury, their all-star SG is returning from microfracture surgery, and Artest is gone too. It's going to be a serious jolt of reality going from NBA champ to a rebuilding team in the WC.

He signed a 5 yr deal. Look beyond the 1st year of that deal. The Rockets are in prime position to rebuild in 2010. He has a chance to have a bigger role in Houston than in any of the other cities that he could have signed with, except for maybe Toronto.