Los Angeles Lakers: Grading first 4 signings of 2021 NBA Free Agency
By Dalton Sell
Grades for Trevor Ariza’s free-agent deal with the Los Angeles Lakers
Trevor Ariza returns to the Los Angeles Lakers after helping the franchise win an NBA title in 2009, and he will be a useful piece from day one once again.
Although Ariza sat out for a large portion of last season before being dealt to the Miami Heat in March, he was solid in his brief time with the franchise. He started in 30 of his 27 games there, living up to his reputation as a solid 3-and-D wing by shooting 35 percent from three and giving the Heat yet another versatile defender. Any contender could use a player like Ariza, and this is a solid move for the Lakers.
Signing Ariza gives the Lakers another body that they can utilize to try and compensate for the loss of KCP. The forward is playing at the tail-end of his career at 36-years-old, but he will still contribute meaningful minutes by knocking down triples and giving the Lakers a rather switchable defender to utilize. Offensively, Ariza will provide Los Angeles with some much-needed floor spacing from behind the arc, as the biggest concern with the James-Davis-Westbrook pairing has been the trio’s inability to space things out. Of course, Ariza will not resolve the issue on his own, but he is a great start.
All in all, this is a reasonable move, particularly considering it came on a minimum deal. Ariza will give LA productive minutes in the rotation with his 3-and-D capabilities.