The championship reuniting tour between the Los Angeles Lakers and Trevor Ariza has been put on hold for awhile. The team announced this week that Ariza will be sidelined about two months after having surgery on his right ankle according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
Trevor Ariza will miss approximately eight weeks after undergoing an arthroscopic debridement procedure on his right ankle, the team announced Wednesday. Ariza has been sidelined for the majority of training camp with the injury.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 7, 2021
This is Ariza’s second stint with the franchise after being a part of the ’09 championship team featuring Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. He signed a veterans’ minimum contract after the team acquired Russell Westbrook from the Washington Wizards.
Ariza averaged 9.4 points and 4.8 rebounds last season for the Miami Heat, but only appeared in 30 of their 72 games.
His absence could be a bigger deal than what many see on the surface. With the regular season quickly approaching with the timing of the surgery, the team will have to adjust their forward rotation in less than two weeks.
The challenge that the Lakers have is a roster full of guards. Of the 14 players on guaranteed contracts, eight of them are guards, and with two more at the centers, it leaves head coach Frank Vogel with limited options.
