This is a big loss for the Lakers.

NBA free agency: Trevor Ariza verballly agrees to sign with Houston Rockets - ESPN

 

Ariza should have taken the pay cut and stayed with a championship team.

 

Seriously. The lakers would have been unstoppable if he stayed.

 

But does adding Artest make up for losing him?

Certainly Ariza isn't going to shoot 40% from behind the arc next season?? Or can he?

 

I think of Artest as being more of a person for the team to go to when Kobe is on the bench.

 

Artest does a lot of great things, and is definitely a upgrade. When a player like Artest is available for the MLE, you cannot pass that up. Artest wants to player for the Lakers... he has stated that he doesn't care about the money. He wants to play for a championship.

I'll miss Ariza. The kid had passion and tons of talent. But he and his slimey agent decided they would muscle the Lakers. The Lakers just called their bluff.

 

If the Lakers did not have Artest in their hip pocket, they would not have allowed Ariza to leave. Ariza showed some real promise and could have been a key role player going forward. I am making the prediction that Ariza will fire his agent within one year. He should talk to Rony Turiaf about how life with the Golden State Warriors is going.......

 

Yup... it really does suck. I like Ariza a lot, he's a great role player who thrived by being the perfect situation. I'm very, very happy he didn't end up with the Cavs or Celtics... that would have really hurt. He's a good kid, home grown... but his agent really screwed him.

 

Well - I'm happy with the Ariza/Artest trade!!

 

Shit i remember this asshat from UCLA, bumped into him at a few parties!