Maybe Ariza would have rather played in Houston than LA? Why is it assumed that playing for the purple and piss in Smogtown is the be-all end-all of NBA basketball?
Playing for a world champion is usually better than playing for a team that never goes anywhere in the playoffs, and whose two best players are constantly getting injured.
The Lakers would not even offer him. The report is that the Lakers told him to go shop himself and bring back the offer. They would not even commit to the MLE with Ariza. Now we all know NBA players have egos the size of Delaware. He was slighted, and pissed off. Ariza knew that Portland was the only team that would give him above MLE, possibly, but they made it clear they were pursuing Hedo, so Hedo took Houstons offer. It comes down to a fractured ego, which may be how Portland is getting Hedo. You know he is pissed about the Carter trade. He carried Orlando when Nelson went out and then to not get the love he thought he deserved in a good offer, he was pissed. Compound that with how quickly they traded for Carter. Off the charts pissed.
David Lee his agent fucked up bigtime...He an amatuer agent yet somehow he became Arizas and Bynums agent http://www.eurobasket.com/agency.asp?AgentNm=Lee David&AgencyNm=David Lee services ^write him an email
Lee came off as an ass before the negotiations even began. I always wonder why players let someone like that stick around and represent them... Honest and candid negotiating will do better for both sides in the long run.
