NBA
Trade Revived: Suns send Trevor Ariza to Wizards, Receive Oubre, Rivers
After a three-team trade dissolved due to confusion late Friday night, the Washington Wizards revived the deal to acquire Phoenix Suns forward Trevor Ariza, ESPN’s Adrain Wojnarowski reported. In exchange, the Wizards are sending guard Austin Rivers and forward Kelly Oubre Jr. to the Suns in the deal.
Last night, a three-team trade was initially made with the Memphis Grizzlies, but it ended in an uproar. The Grizzlies and Suns claimed each had been deceived over which player they were acquiring in the deal. According to sources, the Grizzlies believed the agreement included MarShon Brooks, but the Suns claimed Dillon Brooks was involved.
Phoenix wouldn’t give up on dealing Trevor Ariza
Despite the deal falling apart, dealing Ariza was still the plan for the Suns. They once again began talks with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers were reluctant to include one of their core young players in the trade. Once the Lakers denied the Suns offer again, they focused back on dealing with Washington.
Its official that Ariza, 33, returns to the Wizards. The organization sees him as an important addition to help their broken locker room. Ariza is also someone that the Wizards All-star guard John Wall respects.
Wall severely needs a veteran to keep his head on straight and focused. It’s not a shock that the Wizards acquired Ariza during this mid-season trade. Washington was always one of Ariza’s top free-agent considerations in over the summer, but the Suns’ offer for one-year, $15 million was too appealing to turn down.
Washington feels that Ariza can help them make more of a splash in the Eastern Conference playoffs with his assets. This also works best for Ariza, as he leaves a reeling team that’s going nowhere, for one that’s very likely to make the playoffs. The Suns sit at a horrific 5-24 record, in which they have been waiting to deal Ariza for some key pieces to help resurrect their team.
Three-team trade confusion Friday Night
Phoenix privately claimed that they had direct conversations with Grizzlies officials on Dillon Brooks not MarShon Brooks. Memphis denied that these conversations had taken place. The Grizzlies contend that they negotiated the deal through Wizards’ general manager Ernie Grunfeld. Memphis stated that their was miscommunication to the Suns on which assets their receiving in the deal. Washington says they also believed it was Dillon, not MarShon Brooks on the trading block.
“We were floored to learn of the reports involving Dillon Brooks in the reported trade. We never discussed Dillon as part of this trade with Washington — which was the only team we spoke with concerning this proposed deal.” – Chris Wallace, Memphis General Manager
After many disagreements over the contents of the trade, agents called back stating that the deal is dead. All players involved would return to their respective teams.
In hope of a trade Friday night, Ariza received permission to travel back to his Los Angeles home and prepare to join the Wizards. Ariza is heading back to the Eastern Conference to join Washington.
Photo Credit
James Anderson via Flickr
