- LeBron James and Donovan Mitchell unable to contain themselves after Kyle Kuzma drops 67 in pro-am game
- Russell Westbrook’s former teammate hints that Lakers star is preparing for revenge tour this season
- Draymond Green says he isn’t sure 2020 Lakers would’ve won title if they had kept Brandon Ingram over Kyle Kuzma
- Lakers insider says team is trending towards giving up 2 1st-round picks to acquire Kyrie Irving
- Report: Rob Pelinka wants LeBron James to retire a Laker and will provide him ‘every resource possible’ to compete for a title
- Shaquille O’Neal wishes he could play against ‘buttercups’ in today’s NBA: ‘It’ll be a slaughterhouse’
- Russell Westbrook’s latest social media activity indicates he thought he played well at end of season despite Lakers’ struggles
- Report: 2020 Lakers champ lands back in NBA on 1-year deal with Kings
- LeBron James and Anthony Davis offer hyped reactions to Lakers’ throwback uniforms for 2022-23 season
- Lakers insider says team will be ‘bottom-tier playoff team’ if Russell Westbrook stays on roster
Lakers Rumors: Los Angeles Lakers Refused to Trade Josh Hart for Trevor Ariza
- Updated: December 18, 2018

Los Angeles Lakers fans were disappointed to learn that Trevor Ariza had been traded to the Washington Wizards last week. But according to a recent report by The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, which stated that the Phoenix Suns wanted Josh Hart in return for Ariza, it seems clear that the Lakers absolutely made the right call to say no to that deal.
“The Suns were willing to dance with the Lakers, but only on their terms,” O’Connor wrote. “After the first Ariza trade fell apart, the Lakers hopped back in by offering Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and a future second-round pick, league sources say. The Suns demanded a young player instead of the pick. That player is believed to be Josh Hart. The Lakers obviously refused; Hart is 10 years younger and has been better than Ariza this season.”
It’s no surprise that the Lakers refused that kind of deal.
While Ariza is averaging 9.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, and Hart is averaging 9.0 points and 3.2 rebounds per game, Hart has far greater upside. Not only is he much younger than Ariza, he has also become a fan favorite and has shown true star potential at several points during the season.
It’s a shame that the Lakers missed on Ariza, especially considering the fact that the interest was reportedly mutual. Still, it’s clear that Hart was simply too valuable to trade for a glorified role player such as Ariza.