NBA Trade 2018-19: Moves That Almost Happened

4. Trevor Ariza to the Los Angeles Lakers:

Washington Wizards were having a fire sale towards the end of deadline day

Trevor Ariza has been one of the better 3 and D wings in the NBA for the past few seasons. Even though he is not a very young player anymore at 33, he is still a player that can contribute to a team in a big way. There are not a lot of 3 and D wings in the NBA who play at such a high level. He's averaged 14.5 points per game for the Wizards, along with a combined 2 steals and blocks a game. No wonders the Los Angeles Lakers came calling, a team in need of such veteran talent.

The Lakers were interested in bringing Ariza back to the Staples Center, but first Robert Sarver, owner of the Phoenix Suns, made sure he did not go there. Then, with the Wizards, Lakers thought they would have an easier time negotiating, offering the expiring contract to a Wizards team that had just lost Wall for this season and most of next, thus not really trying for the playoffs. They even traded off Otto Porter Jr. and Markieff Morris, making Lakers case stronger. But in the end, Wizards kept Trevor Ariza and the Lakers left empty handed.