(Note: In the original publishing of this article, I wrongly wrote Ariza was acquired by the Lakers in February of 2008. As pointed out by our readers, this was incorrect. Ariza was actually acquired in November of 2007. I apologize. I went off one article. The date seemed awkward to me too, but that’s what I get for being lazy).
On November 20th, 2007, the Los Angeles Lakers made a trade. No, they didn’t trade Kobe Bryant, as Kobe had demanded they do the summer before the season.
No, this trade barely caused a ripple in the NBA infosphere, even though it occurred shortly before the trade deadline.
The Los Angeles Lakers had shipped out Brian Cook (former first round draft pick) and Maurice Evans for a 6’9″ sinewy swing-man out of UCLA who was currently stuck on the end of the Orlando Magic’s bench. His name? Trevor Ariza.
Many people saw it as a salary dump, to help Jerry Buss’ wallet out after it took a substantial hit with the acquisition of Gasol. The Magic won the Headline Test with the trade (Whichever team gets the headline, “Soso acquires Player-X” is usually thought to win the trade). Phil Jackson said Ariza was athletic and had an “all-around-game” but the Lakers wanted him primarily for his defense.
Next: Ariza’s Hollywood Story
Ariza ended up cracking the rotation and showing much promise. Unfortunately, in a practice leading up to the play-offs (which the Lakers had surprised everybody and grabbed the #1 seed in the West, #2 seed over-all), Ariza broke his foot. He’d return for the Finals, but was too rusty to log any significant minutes. I still contend, had he been healthy, the Lakers would have won the series. (Paul Pierce, who eventually won the MVP of the Finals, would have been the perfect guard for somebody like Ariza).
The injury happened to be a blessing to Ariza. With him unable to practice fully, he concentrated on the one thing he could practice (and needed to): his shooting.
In the past, teams could play off of Ariza on their defensive end since he wasn’t a consistent threat outside. While he was injured, he had fixed a few kinks in his shooting motion, and while not a consistent sharp-shooter, he was more than capable of hitting the open 3-ball. This was all the Lakers would require of him.
In a year and a half, the Lakers had turned a second round pick of the New York Knicks and NBA journeyman/bench-warmer into one of the most electrifying role-players in the NBA. I’m sure nobody reading this needs to be reminded of Ariza’s thunderous dunk to clinch the Boston-Lakers Game on Christmas Day in 2008, or the series-saving steals he made against the Nuggets in the 2009 Western Conference Finals, or any of the other big three pointers he hit for the Lakers in his year and a half in the Forum Blue and Gold.
It’s trades like the Cook/Evans for Ariza trade that separate good teams (like the Denver Nuggets) from the great teams (like the Los Angeles Lakers).
Next: The Ugly Side of Sports
Unfortunately, after the Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic for the 2009 NBA Title, everybody was reminded of the worst part of professional sports: money. Trevor Ariza had long been seen as an NBA journeyman, and because of that, he had been paid as such. Now that he had put in work while the game’s lights shined the brightest, he wanted to be paid.
And let me just say–I understand completely. Ariza has kids and a family to be taken care of, and it’s only natural to want what you’re owed.
However, the NBA is a business, and nobody understands that better than Mitch Kupchak.
Nobody loves Trevor Ariza more than myself. He was nothing more than a humble, team-first guy during his time in LA. An unexpected diamond in the rough, who, if we had not acquired, we would probably not have won the 2009-2010 NBA title. The fact that he’s a LA kid who went to UCLA only adds to the Hollywood story.
But, much like the under-the-radar trades can help make an elite team, over-paying for role-players is something that can cripple an elite team like the Lakers, since they obviously won’t have excessive wads of cash to throw around in the first place. And you can’t pay people big bucks off one very good season.
It’s a lesson that Mitch Kupchak learned the hard way.
Next: Learning from the Past
Mitch Kupchak drafted Luke Walton. I’m a big-time Luke Walton guy. Obviously, not a world-beater, but he’s not a scrub either and always seems to make heady-plays (as any guy wearing white skin in the NBA is required to do. I’m sure it’s in his contract: make heady plays). Unfortunately, he’s overpaid. After the 2007 season, averaging 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists, Kupchak inked Walton to a 6 year, $30 million deal. A deal that seemed solid enough at the time, given the options.
3 years later? Not so much. Especially considering Walton may miss the entire 2010-2011 season with back problems. $15 million is a lot to pay a man to waive a towel while dressed in a suit for the next three years.
Then there’s Vladamir Radmonavic. The talented, but frustratingly under-achieving forward from Yugoslovia. After averaging 10-5-4 (on 41% 3-point shooting) for the Clippers in ’06, Kupchak inked Vlad Rad to a 5-year, $31 million contract, with final incentive being an opportunity at a starting job.
After a tumultuous Lakers career, Phil Jackson said Vlad was a “space cadet.” The final straw came in February of 2008, when Radmanovic allegedly showed up to practice in Vans sneakers. Thankfully Kupchak was able to shed that contract by some how hustling Larry Brown into taking Radmanovic for Shannon Brown and The Ghost of Adam Morrison.
Kupchak once again showed his savvy, as Shannon Brown turned into another electrifying member of the Lakers’ bench, after spending time on benches exclusively all over the league.
Then you have the case of Sasha Vujacic. After leading the Italian league in scoring, Vujacic was drafted by the Lakers. After a couple years of insignificance (His greatest moment pre-2008? Being on the court during the final seconds of a play-off game vs. Phoenix in 2006. Watch this clip. Seriously, look at our starting line-up. LOOK AT IT!!!!!); Vujacic sprung to life in the 2008 play-offs, and really, was the only Laker not named “Kobe Bryant” to do anything significant in the loss to the Celtics.
After the season, he threatened to take his talents back over seas. I remember seriously thinking to myself, “Man, we’re screwed if we don’t re-sign The Machine!!” Eventually Kupchak inked Vujacic to a 3-year, $15 million dollar deal.
It’s the same deal, that, two years later, the Lakers are offering a first round pick to anybody who would be willing to take said contract off their books. It’s also the same contract that led me to jokingly Tweet after the 2010 NBA Finals: “Mitch Kupchak’s first off-season assignment? Arranging the assassination of Sasha Vujacic.”
Next: Practice Makes Perfect
Kupchak surely had all these cases in his mind when Ariza balked at the his original 5-year, $30 million dollar offer. Kupchak probably just chuckled. After being responsible for making Luke Walton, Sasha Vujacic, and Vladamir Radmanovic $75 million richer, I’m sure there was some hesitency. He had been burned by these sorts of deals in the past, and now Ariza, who had one good year out of five in the NBA, wanted more? Who was he kidding?
And with somebody like former All-Star Ron Artest, who was somebody with a much longer record of consistency, who was somebody who would walk from Houston to LA to sign his contract in his own blood… can you fault Kupchak for pulling the trigger so quickly?
Kupchak called Ariza’s bluff perfectly, and it was found Ariza wasn’t holding many cards. He signed with Houston, for 5-years and $30 million dollars. And make no mistake about it, Kupchak was killed by everybody. Exchanging the young, budding Trevor Ariza for the aging enigma that was Ron Artest? How could he be so foolish to tinker with championship chemistry?
Next: Aftermath of the Ariza/Lakers Divorce
And sadly, this is how Trevor Ariza, the ruthlessly efficient dagger dropper of the 2009 NBA Champion Lakers went from NBA Glory to chucking bricks and clashing with the “alpha-male” of a non-contender in Houston.
And last week, Ariza was part of a 4-team deal that had him headed to New Orleans. While he will be paired with NBA great Chris Paul, it remains to be seen just how long Chris Paul will be in New Orleans (and logically, just how long professional basketball will be there as well).
I don’t pity Ariza. At the end of the day, he’s making millions of dollars and touring the country while playing the greatest game ever invented. He’s welcome to switch me spots any time he wants.
But, you can’t help but think that, come next March, when Chris Paul is out with some phantom injury, and he’s sluggishly trotting up and down the court while down 20 to the San Antonio Spurs, Ariza will be thinking about and regretting his decision with the Lakers… especially given where the Lakers have been without him and where they’ll continue to be. I do feel sorry for him for that, because I will always have a soft spot for Ariza in my heart.
Meanwhile, the ruthless Mitch Kupchak, swooped in to steal the louder, meaner, and angrier version of Trevor Ariza. His name? Matt Barnes. And his price tag? Two years, $3.6 million.
Again, the difference between good and great.