NBA Trade Rumors: Lakers Attempted To Re-Engage With Suns After Failed Trevor Ariza Trade

Matthew Moreno
2 Min Read
Michael Gonzales-NBAE via Getty Images

In the week ahead of players who signed a new contract in free agency this past summer becoming eligible to be traded, the Los Angeles Lakers were reported as having interest in a reunion with Trevor Ariza.

Unlike when they benefitted from the Phoenix Suns buying out veteran center Tyson Chandler, the Lakers acquiring Ariza would require completing a trade. That proved problematic as the Suns didn’t have interest in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope but sought Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram or Kyle Kuzma.

That led to reports of a potential three-team trade, with the Houston Rockets emerging as a potential landing spot for Caldwell-Pope. Come Friday night it appeared Ariza was bound for the Washington Wizards in a three-team trade that also involved the Memphis Grizzlies.

That came undone when there was confusion over whether the Suns would receive Dillon Brooks or MarShon Brooks from the Grizzlies. In the aftermath of that, the Lakers and Rockets began to re-engage the Suns in trade talks, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski:

Several other teams were already pushing the Suns to get back involved in a deal for Ariza, including the Lakers and Houston Rockets, league sources said.

While the Lakers attempted to re-enter the picture, a trade seemed unlikely. Suns owner Robert Sarver reportedly was against trading Ariza to the Lakers, in large part because of criticism his team received over the developments of Chandler.

And come Saturday morning, the Suns and Wizards managed to complete a trade, with Ariza returning to the nation’s capital in exchange for Austin Rivers and Kelly Oubre.

Matthew Moreno is a journalist from Whittier, Calif., who is a credentialed reporter and is currently the Managing Editor of DodgerBlue.com and LakersNation.com. In addition to covering Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angels Lakers games, Matthew has a strong passion for keeping up to date with the sneakerhead culture. It began with Michael Jordan and Air Jordan shoes, and has carried over to Kobe Bryant's signature line with Nike. Matthew previously was the lead editor and digital strategist at Dodgers Nation, and the co-editor and lead writer at Reign of Troy, where he covered USC Trojans Football. Matthew graduated from California State Long Beach University with a major in journalism and minor in communications. Contact: matt@mediumlargela.com