Saturday marks the first day that NBA teams can trade away players they signed during the offseason.
With that in mind, forward Trevor Ariza has been one of the more popular names that has been made available by the Phoenix Suns. Ariza's time on the market ended quickly as he reportedly got traded to the Washington Wizards on Saturday in exchange for Austin Rivers and Kelly Oubre. According to David Aldridge of The Athletic, Suns owner Robert Sarver was "adamant" about not trading Ariza to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Per source, Suns owner Robert Sarver was adamant that he would not send Trevor Ariza to the Lakers, so Phoenix pivoted to other options. Wizards desperate for toughness/defensive grit, and would have had difficulty re-signing Oubre next summer.
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) December 15, 2018
So in the end, the Suns opted to send Ariza to Washington. This comes after the Wizards, Suns and Grizzlies had agreed to a three-team trade on Friday that would've sent Ariza to the Wizards while Oubre would've been sent to the Grizzlies. The Suns still would've ended up with Rivers in addition to draft picks.
The trade got hung up because the Suns thought they were receiving Rivers, Wayne Selden and MarShon Brooks. However, Phoenix and Memphis got the names mixed up because the Suns were convinced that they were receiving Dillon Brooks rather than MarShon Brooks. Following that fact being brought to light, the deal fell apart and the Grizzlies were eliminated from the trade talks.
The Los Angeles Lakers had previously been linked as a potential team that could look to acquire Ariza in a three-team trade. Earlier this month, Wojnarowski reported that the Lakers were talking to the Suns about a trade that would involve Ariza and potentially guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The Suns have been looking to bolster their backcourt and certainly ended up doing that with the addition of Rivers while also adding an explosive wing in Oubre.
Perhaps Sarver didn't want to make the Lakers better with another one of his veterans. After all, center Tyson Chandler was bought out by the Suns in November and ended up signing with the Lakers shortly after he was let go. From the other side, the Lakers certainly could use some help on the perimeter as they are shooting just 34.9 percent from beyond the arc, which is good for just 18th in the NBA. Ironically, Ariza might make his Wizards debut on Sunday against the Lakers (6 p.m. ET -- watch on fuboTV with the NBA League Pass extension).
Sarver and the Suns made a huge splash shortly after free agency began this summer by landing Ariza. With Ariza and a strong 2018 draft class in tow, Phoenix was expected to be a much-improved team, but star guard Devin Booker has missed eight games so far this season. However, the Suns have accumulated just a 5-24 record up to this point.
