It seems like each offseason brings with it the question of which veteran player will accept a pay cut to chase a ring with the Golden State Warriors.
Recent rumors are swirling that it might be a key player on one of the teams the Warriors vanquished in the Western Conference playoffs.
ESPN’s Chris Haynes appeared on the TK Show with Tim Kawakami and mentioned that a name he was hearing regarding players willing to take a pay cut this offseason to join the Warriors is Trevor Ariza.
The lengthy Houston Rockets forward has long had a reputation around the league of being a solid defender and outside shooting threat.
Not only would this addition make the Warriors stronger, but it would also weaken a Rockets team that had the best regular season record in the NBA last year.
Ariza averaged 11.7 points per game and shot 36.8% from 3-point range during a regular season in which he started all 67 games he appeared in.
The Warriors really limited the amount of damage Ariza did in the Western Conference Finals, though. Ariza shot just 33% from the field and just 20% from 3-point range during the series.
Ariza previously won a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009 when he started all 23 playoff games the Lakers played that postseason.
He’d add an important veteran presence to the Warriors bench if he’d, in fact, be willing to take a pay cut this offseason.
Ariza is about to complete a 4-year deal worth $32 million. The Rockets acquired him in a sign-and-trade from the Washington Wizards back in July 2014.
He’ll be 33 at the beginning of next season, and he’ll have to decide whether he wants one more sizeable payday or if he wants to put himself in the best position to win another championship.
The rest of the league is undoubtedly dreading the possibility of the Warriors getting even more talented if Ariza joins the squad.