Veteran Trevor Ariza only spent a few months with the Miami Heat, but upon his departure in free agency, he offered an emotional goodbye to the franchise.
Ariza signed a deal to join the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this week, though it’s readily apparent that his short stay with the Heat left an indelible mark on him.
Likely one of the reasons why Ariza was able to regain his love of the game with the Heat was due to his recent history in the league. That’s included playing for four different teams in the previous two seasons.
During his short time with the Heat, Ariza started 27 of the 30 regular season games he played in, averaging 9.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 steal per game.
Ariza is returning to play for the Lakers and hoping for some deja vu during the 2021-22 campaign. As a member of the 2008-09 Lakers, he was part of a roster that ended up winning the NBA title.