The Phoenix Suns and Trevor Ariza are no longer together. Despite a “mutual” decision to part ways, the mystery of a bottom-dwelling team willing to trade a recently acquired veteran is perplexing.
While most of his former teammates have nothing negative to say about the veteran, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic suggests Ariza wasn't all in when it comes to his teammates:
Ariza checked out mentally early in the season, according to sources. After practices would ended, he’d leave before everyone else, when that's usually an opportunity to bond.
He'd break from the team huddle before his teammates and wasn’t engaged.
Ariza fully knew what he signed up for, inking a one-year, $15 million deal only minutes within the start of free agency.
While some questioned the balloon tag for that flexible contract, it could be likely that the 3-and-D specialist was only setting himself up financially or that he expected he'd end up in a better situation than dead-last in the Western Conference.
Maybe losing got to him, it's tough to say — but showing clear signs of aloofness less than 30 games into the season isn't the best sign of leadership.
Just for the sake of perspective … Ariza lost 24 games through a third of the season, while he only lost 17 regular-season games last season as a whole — an astronomical change for a veteran player.
Instead, the 6-foot-8 forward will try to help the Washington Wizards climb out of a 12-18 record in the East, likely facing similar hardships with a struggling team.
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