Trevor Ariza feels slighted by the Lakers
The 24-year-old swingman, who played a key role in the Lakers’ run to their 15th NBA championship, is on the verge of leaving the club, sources close to the situation said on Wednesday.
With at least five teams pursuing Ariza, the Lakers are currently unwilling to pay him more than the $5.6 million mid-level exception.
Cleveland is making a hard push for Ariza, and the Cavaliers’ coaching staff was speaking with him on Wednesday. While Cleveland can only offer the mid-level as well, Ariza’s disappointment with the Lakers’ stance has moved other suitors ahead of his current team.
Ariza’s position doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me. The Lakers traded for him and gave him the opportunity to flourish, yet he isn’t willing to stay even though they’re willing to match the best offer he’s getting (up to the mid-level). He apparently feels that the Lakers’ unwillingness to give him more than his market value is a slap in the face.
I suspect his camp is just leveraging these “bad feelings” to get the Lakers to raise their offer a bit, which they probably will.
I think he’s worth the mid level, maybe a little more. Those wide open looks he got during the playoffs were courtesy of Kobe and Pau though. He is still pretty raw offensively and has trouble creating his own shot. His hustle and defense are definitely above average though. I think its probably a case of his agent planting delusions of grandeur in his ear in order to bolster his own bottom line. His agent is known for soap operaesque proclamations and threats as evidenced by his approach with Andrew Bynum’s extension.I agree with the situation not making sense but when agents get involved common sense often becomes an oxymoron of the highest order. If the process gets too silly the Lakers could look to a Matt Barnes, Anthony Parker, Fred Jones, or Even Artest. What do you think?