TREVOR ARIZA likely figured his tenure with the Phoenix Suns would be short after signing a one-year, US$15 million contract with the team in free agency this offseason, but he probably didn’t think it would be this brief.

Twenty-six games into a season to forget for the 4-22 Suns, the Los Angeles Lakers are engaged in trade talks for Ariza that would likely ship out Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to a third team, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Suns are reportedly hoping to land a playmaking guard and draft pick in exchange for Ariza.

Such a trade would mean the Suns are unloading Ariza as early as legally possible, as players signed in free agency this summer are ineligible to be traded until this Saturday.

There were reasons for Los Angeles to bring in Ariza. The first is that Ariza remains a pretty solid player at age 33, currently averaging 9.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game.

The Lakers have enjoyed Ariza’s ex-teammate Tyson Chandler’s leadership and defensive presence since acquiring him from the Suns and adding another veteran could help the team stay in playoff contention while maybe not having to rely on LeBron James to play hero ball every night. (SD-Agencies)