The Raps in on the Ariza Sweepstakes

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4301414

-ariza career trajectory reminds me of bobby simmons- simmons had a great year and was awarded with a monster contract that he could never live up to
-last year i think was an aberration for ariza for three reasons: (1) he was playing on the best team in world with the best player in the world (2) nothing in his previous years as a pro as suggested that he can consistently produce (3) his offensive game is very limited

-plus, the dude is injury prone

 

If you offer him more than MLE money, good luck with him. You definitely overpaid. He's a role player and wasn't anybody until he got paired up with Kobe/Pau. He cannot create his own shot and can barely dribble the ball. Plus he has foot problems.

 

Feel free to overpay him, because I don't want the Lakers signing him for more then the MLE. He's not worth it. I love his potential and all, but I think he's a product of the Lakers system. If you want to give him more then the MLE though, go for it, and have fun overpaying him in the process.

 

i for one would love o keep ariza, he was huge for us. but that doesnt mean he will be good for anyone else. he is product of the lakers system, like you said moo, and that is exactly why we should keep him. but i wouldnt go over 7 mil, and even that is really pushing it.

 

I wouldn't go over the MLE, he's not worth more then that. He's a role player. Role players shouldn't be making that much money.

 

Any money he makes over the MLE will be because of his age and potential for improvement. It's kinda ironic that his best chance for improvement involves staying with the Lakers, but they can't pay over the MLE to acknowledge that.

 

I saw on Sportsnet Connected that Ariza is close to a deal with the Rockets.