- Stephen Curry remembers ‘overwhelming moment’ when Warriors learned of Kobe Bryant’s death
- Steve Kerr makes striking comparison between current Lakers team and 73-9 Warriors
- Kyle Kuzma gives Stephen Curry the ultimate compliment, calls him the ‘greatest shooter ever’
- Anthony Davis looks back at Kobe Bryant’s legacy as more than just a basketball player
- LeBron James says he won’t play until age 46 due to hilarious reason
- Klay Thompson looks back at linking up with Kobe Bryant, expresses how much he misses him
- Here’s a sneak peak of LeBron James in ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’
- Vanessa Bryant gets ‘real’ about grief she’s continued to go through since losing Kobe and Gianna
- Anthony Davis reveals who he thinks are top 5 shooters on Lakers, ranked
- LeBron James hilariously explains why he wishes he was Justin Timberlake this late in his career
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.