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Trevor Ariza did not sign on again with the Houston Rockets, he did not make a similar move to Kevin Durant and left the Rockets for the Warriors team who l & # 39; 39, eliminated the finals of the Western Conference. Instead, he chose the money and signed a $ 15 million deal with the Phoenix Suns for a year.
Ariza would look for a long-term deal worth $ 50 to $ 60 million. But he got a bubble that pays him twice his previous salary for a season while giving the Suns a quality veteran for a young budding team
But that hurts the hopes of the Rockets championship
Ariza was an integral part of Houston. near championship run last season. He maintained an average of 11.7 points per game as a three-D wing who shot 37 percent of three. He, P.J. Tucker and Luc Mbah a Moute shared these minutes on the wing and turned Houston's defense into a defense capable of changing virtually any screen. It was a defense that almost eliminated the Warriors of the playoffs in the Western Conference Finals.
But Houston failed. Chris Paul suffered a hamstring injury in the fifth game and everything broke down from there. The Warriors won the series in seven games before sweeping the Cavaliers for their second consecutive NBA title. And with Ariza now leaving Houston for Phoenix, we can only continue to wonder what could have been if the CP3 had never been hurt in the first place.
The Rockets could also have trouble replacing Ariza. They could have re-signed him using his bird rights, which would have allowed them to exceed the salary cap to sign it for an increase. Now, they can only offer the taxpayer's mid-level exception or minimum contract to potential free agents.
This is a good signature for Phoenix, even though
The Suns had close to $ 20 million in ceiling space to sign free agents, but they were not expecting to Featured talent this summer. Instead, Phoenix knew that he had budding stars to develop; After all, the Suns have recruited No. 1 Deandre Ayton in this year's draft, adding to a core of talented young players, including Devin Booker's unparalleled guard and the top-5 pick of The Year's Project last, Josh Jackson. Phoenix needed a veteran who can always contribute to both ends of the field while providing veteran leadership and mentoring in such a locker room.
Ariza is that kind of player. He won a championship in 2009 with the Los Angeles Lakers and played for six different teams in his career. He has been a reliable three-point corner shooter virtually his entire career while doubling as a defender of the wing who can keep multiple positions. And now he's leaving Houston to take his talents to Phoenix.
If there was $ 15 million waiting for you in Arizona, you'd probably pick it up too.
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