Despite the recent rumors that said Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver was unwilling to send forward Trevor Ariza to his former team, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Suns were “willing to dance with the Lakers, but only on their terms.”
According to Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer, after the first Ariza trade proposal fell apart (Suns were hoping to find a third team to take on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope), the Lakers offered Caldwell-Pope and a future second-round pick. But that wasn't good enough for the Suns, who demanded a young player instead of the pick.
That player is believed to be Josh Hart, which was one of the players on a blacklist for the young up-and-coming franchise. The Lakers refused, as Hart is 10 years younger and has played better than Ariza this season.
The Suns are still desperately looking for a playmaking guard, having inquired with teams like the Minnesota Timberwolves, Philadelphia 76ers and others in search for a backcourt partner for Devin Booker, who has taken on the lion's share of point guard duties from the start of the season.
Phoenix has listed Booker as the team's point guard for the time being, which has yielded different results, given how much of the scoring weight rests on the 22-year-old's shoulders.
Hart is viewed more as a 3-and-D specialist and a strong rebounder than a playmaking guard, so the Suns could have potentially dodged a huge bullet there, likely dealing with a huge blindfold in the wake of a sad reality under Sarver.
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