Trevor Ariza?

[dj3ptspecialist44]

I've been watching the playoffs and I have to say one of the more impressive players that's going to be a free agent this summer is Ariza. My uncle is a huge Laker fan go figure, and while I hate the Lakers since we are family I pointed out to him when the Laker's got Ariza a couple years back that he was a good player who just couldn't shoot the ball a la Gerald Wallace. Now that Ariza is improving his shooting and is an excellent defender I jokingly told my uncle the Kings are going to sign him haha. In all seriousness though provided we do make some trades to rid ourselves of our glut at SF I would like to see us sign Ariza. He's still young I think 25? And I wouldn't mind giving him a 5 year 35 mill deal. That's 7 mill a year. What do you guys think is he a one hit wonder? Or do you see him as just getting to his potential? Also take into account I know we all hate the Lakers and my post is provided we get rid of at least 1 of Nocioni or Garcia.

 

[asakkings]

If we can get rid of one big SF contract than Ariza would be a perfect pick up. He is inconsistent but a great defender and very athletic.

 

[Vlade4GM]

The Lakers will re-sign him, they have his bird rights and he's their no.1 priority this offseason.

 

[dj3ptspecialist44]

The Lakers will re-sign him, they have his bird rights and he's their no.1 priority this offseason.

To some extent I agree with that, but they also have the issue of Odom and you can say that Odom is actually more important to what they do as a team than Ariza. Also if a team like the Kings offers him 35 to 40 million I doubt the Lakers who are damn near over the cap are going to match that. The problem then is is he worth it? I think he'd be perfect for us and especially with careful picks in the draft we'd be much improved.

 

[Arby's Roast Beef]

He's a really good player who still has room for growth due to age and athleticism but who also fits the standard cog player template as well with his defense and shooting ability. He will undoubtedly be a highly sought after player this offseason--he's actually doing quite a bit of damage in this playoffs, and the Lakers (I guess depending on whether they win it all or not) may not be able to keep him. I'm getting vibes that they want to keep Ariza over Odom, though. He'll definitely get an offer starting at MLE, and if a team really likes him could be somewhat over that. We've had this discussion before about bringing him to the Kings--unless he has Joe Johnson syndrome, or something, I don't see him jumping ship from one of the NBA's best teams to one of the worst teams in the league; I don't think he has that type of ego where he wants to be the man either. You also mentioned our relative SF glut--he's playing with Nocioni and Garcia here, both players whose body of work suggests they should get minutes, so that would really steer him away from us. So in the unlikely scenario that we drastically overpay for him and he has a highly commanding agent who wants to steer him towards the $$$, it's highly improbable--teams will outbid him, and IMO I think he'll end up staying with the Lakers--they discovered his talents, helped him develop a three point shot, he's a LA guy, and probably are willing to keep him over Odom.

 

[Showtime]

*facepalm* why do kings fans continually think key role players on contenders will up and come to the worst team in the league?

 

[vikinginferno]

*facepalm* why do kings fans continually think key role players on contenders will up and come to the worst team in the league?

I think many believe he can be more than just a role player. I think it is definitely possible. He has athleticism, defense, and is becoming a very good shooter. If he is able to assert himself more, I could see him becoming a great player. He's on arguably the best team in the league and he doesn't get too many touches in their offense with other players like Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Lamar Odom. If he goes to a team like us he would have a much bigger part and would get more touches and more playing time.

 

[Vlade4GM]

To some extent I agree with that, but they also have the issue of Odom and you can say that Odom is actually more important to what they do as a team than Ariza. Also if a team like the Kings offers him 35 to 40 million I doubt the Lakers who are damn near over the cap are going to match that. The problem then is is he worth it? I think he'd be perfect for us and especially with careful picks in the draft we'd be much improved.

Well, you can say that but regardless Ariza is higher on their priority list because he's a long term solution at the 3 while LO will remain a backup. They may not match that, it all depends on what Odom is asking for.

Is he worth it? For the Lakers perhaps. I don't think he's worth it for us, he's becoming a very good spot up shooter, he's active off the ball, good rebounder, decent passer, and good team defender. However he's still not a great man defender, and he's not much of an on-ball scorer/creator. He's good on a team like the Lakers who have good creators (pau, kobe, odom somewhat) that can create for others. I really don't think it's the best use of our cap space, but we could do worse.

 

[Peter_Gibbons]

I think this was discussed in another thread before already. Ariza's agent already said that he is asking $7-$8 mil per yr.

He is athletic, but not really hard to find guys like that. He is a decent open catch and shoot guy. But will he get that many wide open looks with other teams? He can't create for himself. He is a good intercept the pass defender, but he is not a good on ball man to man defender at all. Really, I think you can find an atheletic 6'7" 6'8" guy in the draft with the #23 or #31. Why pay Ariza that kind of money?

 

[Kings Faithful]

Yeah, I don't want him either. Something tells me if we signed him he would lose his shooting touch the instant he hit arco arena for the first time and he would just become another OK player... kind of like the bench version of John Salmons.

 

[Vlade4GM]

Yeah, I don't want him either. Something tells me if we signed him he would lose his shooting touch the instant he hit arco arena for the first time and he would just become another OK player... kind of like the bench version of John Salmons.

The thing about Ariza is that he's becoming a reliable spot up shooter, much better than he's been in the past, and he's still yet to really earn the respect of defenders (which partially has to do with who he's playing with) so he's getting a lot of very open shots. Expecting him to keep hitting at the same rate on this team is just not realistic.

 

[steelevt]

i always thought ariza was underrated and thought he was a good pickup for the lakers. i thought he would have been a good addition to the kings defensively but now since we have noc and extended garcia i dont see the point. we pretty much have a cheaper version of him in garcia. athletic sf who can hit the 3 and a cheaper price. if it was a season or 2 ago, i woulda been all for getting him since he was a steal for around 3 mil a year.

 

[Showtime]

The thing about Ariza is that he's becoming a reliable spot up shooter, much better than he's been in the past, and he's still yet to really earn the respect of defenders (which partially has to do with who he's playing with) so he's getting a lot of very open shots. Expecting him to keep hitting at the same rate on this team is just not realistic.

He's effective because he's really the 5th or 6th option.

It goes:

Kobe
Kobe
Gasol
Kobe
Fisher/Odom
Ariza

He gets his buckets either in transition, spot up shots, or gets the pass off a double so he can attack when the defense makes their rotation. He doesn't normally create his own shot, and the reason he's so effective is because he's not placed into that role where he's asked to do a lot. What he's asked to do is mainly defend, and he usually has the toughest perimeter assignment.

 

[Vlade4GM]

I was talking about his jump shot, which has improved quite a bit, but he's an effective shooter in his role on the Lakers. He wouldn't have the same role with us.

 

[Bricklayer]

He's emerged as the classic defend and spotshoot roleplayer. Those guys are gold on a high level team playing off of high level stars. Every great team has them. But their effectiveness and impact falls off dramatically when you try to move them to a losing team like ours. Their limitations get exposed, they get asked to do things they are not good at, to create their own offense, to play outside their roleplayer box, and its just not a good fit for either party. One day, if we get good again, we'll need a Trevor Ariza or two. But that day is years off and paying for him now would just be a waste of time for both us and him.

 

[fnordius]

He wouldn't have the same role with us.

No, he wouldn't. He currently represents less than 4% of the Lakers payroll. His agent wants him to be making what would be about 15% of our payroll, putting him just behind Kevin Martin as the second most highly paid guy on the roster. He'd have to be either co-star of the team, or (vastly more likely) not on the team at all.

I was very enthused about getting the guy when he was a badly underrated kid back East, but those days are gone, and he's no longer a bargain. I don't see any way it's going to happen, and am fine with that.

 

[Showtime]

I was talking about his jump shot, which has improved quite a bit, but he's an effective shooter in his role on the Lakers. He wouldn't have the same role with us.

I know. My point is that he's so good because of his limited role with the Lakers.

 

[Vlade4GM]

I know. My point is that he's so good because of his limited role with the Lakers.

Yeah, but let's not take anything away from him either. It takes a very good role player to do as much as he does in between the likes of Odom, Bryant, Gasol, Fisher, and Bynum. He still has room to improve his shot and strength too.

 

[DesertFox]

Don't sign middling players to long term deals.
Even if you get rid of one of Garcia, you'd still end up with 3 long deals to swing players, which further blocks Greene and makes it harder to draft someone.

 

[dj3ptspecialist44]

I'm not saying we should sign him. I just thought he'd be somebody we would consider signing if he had a place on our team. I do agree with what someone else said that there could be a player as good as him in the draft. I'd have to believe that player who closely resembles him is Terrence Williams, but I don't think he's there for us at 23 and I don't think we'd trade up for him that 31 pick is actually a valuable one since it is so high.

 

[Aenadin]

theyre going to resign him for sure... their line up would be

starting line up

fisher
kobe
ariza
pau
bynum
Bavetta
Crawford
Stern

 

[bajaden]

To some extent I agree with that, but they also have the issue of Odom and you can say that Odom is actually more important to what they do as a team than Ariza. Also if a team like the Kings offers him 35 to 40 million I doubt the Lakers who are damn near over the cap are going to match that. The problem then is is he worth it? I think he'd be perfect for us and especially with careful picks in the draft we'd be much improved.

Well for one thing, the Lakers were over the cap last year. Right now, without resigning anyone, their projected payroll is $64,233,486.00. So you could be right. Besides Odom and Ariza they also have Shannon Brown. I know he's of lesser importance, but he worked his way into the rotation this year and has played pretty well. Lest we forget, Kobe has an opt out in his contract after this past season. So he could really throw a fly into the ointment.

The projected luxury tax cap is projected to drop a little down to around 69 mil. Ditto the salary cap which is susposed to drop to around 57 mil. So as you can see the Lakers will be over the salary cap if they sign no one, and are dangerously close to the luxury tax limit. Odom made around 14 mil last year. So even if you can get him to agree to a pay cut to say 8 or 9 mil. and then sign Ariza to a 7 mil contract, that would still put them 9 or 10 mil over the luxury tax limit, which means they would have to cough up and additional 10 mil in tax.

I know the Lakers have never been afraid of spending money, but thats a lot of money to spend on nothing but tax. Good for the Kings though. They'll get some of it. Anyway, I think the lakers will be thinking long and hard about what they do. For them the future is now, and the window will start to close in a couple of years. Kobe is past the 30 year old barrier, and he's also getting close to that 1000 game mark.

He's a remarkable athlete and he takes very good care of himself, so he may stay productive longer than some others. But the wear and tear of the NBA eventually takes it toll on everyone.

 

[bajaden]

*facepalm* why do kings fans continually think key role players on contenders will up and come to the worst team in the league?

Its simple really. Were optimistic and your not. It doesn't irritate me that your not, so it shouldn't irritate you that we are. There! Don't you feel better.

 

[dj3ptspecialist44]

Its simple really. Were optimistic and your not. It doesn't irritate me that your not, so it shouldn't irritate you that we are. There! Don't you feel better.

HAHA I like that thank you. I'm just throwing out possibilities i'm not the GM it's all just for talk mostly.

 

[bajaden]

Well, you can say that but regardless Ariza is higher on their priority list because he's a long term solution at the 3 while LO will remain a backup. They may not match that, it all depends on what Odom is asking for.

Is he worth it? For the Lakers perhaps. I don't think he's worth it for us, he's becoming a very good spot up shooter, he's active off the ball, good rebounder, decent passer, and good team defender. However he's still not a great man defender, and he's not much of an on-ball scorer/creator. He's good on a team like the Lakers who have good creators (pau, kobe, odom somewhat) that can create for others. I really don't think it's the best use of our cap space, but we could do worse.

I tend to agree with this. I doubt he would be as effective on our team as he is with the Lakers, simply because of the supporting cast. Perhaps in a couple of years, when he's improved some more and the Kings (hopefully) have improved also.

Personally, if I were going to spend somewhere between 5 and 7 mil a year, I would rather go after Ramon Sessions. He fills a greater need.

 

[rainmaker]

I like ariza, and his defense would be a welcomed sight, but not at 7 mil a year. Also, we don't know how much of an effect kobe and gasol have had on him. When you take away the supporting cast he has in LA, would he be as effective?

 

[Vlade4GM]

Supposedly Buss' cut-off is about 100 million after lux taxes. Kobe opting out would actually help them as the max money he could make in his first year would be less than what he is slated to make next year.

 

[Showtime]

Its simple really. Were optimistic and your not. It doesn't irritate me that your not, so it shouldn't irritate you that we are. There! Don't you feel better.

There's a difference between being unrealistic/homer, being optimistic, and being a realist.

 

[VF21]

The Lakers will re-sign him, they have his bird rights and he's their no.1 priority this offseason.

Oh crap. I agree with you again.

Considering the nice writeup about Ariza in this week's SI, I'm pretty sure you're entirely right. The Lakers are NOT going to let him walk.