Report: The Rockets are unlikely to trade Trevor Ariza

The Houston Rockets are unlikely to trade Trevor Ariza.

In the Houston Rockets’ quest for Carmelo Anthony, Trevor Ariza and Ryan Anderson‘s names have been thrown around as potential trade bait.

Both are savvy veterans that can knock down three-point shots at a high percentage. Ariza can guard the opponents’ best player and is an extremely versatile player.

The New York Knicks are looking for younger talent and because of that, the trade talks have stalled. The Rockets are still trying to improve their roster, but it won’t be at the expense of Ariza.

According Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, the Rockets do not view Trevor Ariza as a trade option.

“The Rockets stance this summer has been that Ariza is not a trade option. However, as the season comes together, does he have a future in Houston? Today that answer is a resounding yes.”

Trevor Ariza averaged 11.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game last season, including 35.4 percent on catch and shoot threes. A staggering 67.9 percent of Ariza’s field goal attempts came when the closest defender was four feet or farther away from him, which constitutes as an open shot.

Trevor Ariza will have an abundance of open looks next year.

With Chris Paul in tow, Ariza will see even more open looks. Paul and Harden are lethal in the pick-and-roll, and are sure to draw plenty of double teams. CP3 averaged 9.2 assists per game last season, finishing fourth in the NBA. The Clippers had a 116.2 offensive rating with Paul on the floor, which would’ve ranked No. 1 in the NBA. CP3 makes everyone so much better on both sides of the floor, and Ariza’s shooting efficiency should fly through the rough next season.

Ariza will play out the final season of his four-year, $32 million contract. At 32 years old, next summer could be his last opportunity at a big pay-day. Ariza won a championship with the Lakers in 2009, so he might be less likely to ring chase and opt for a pay cut as he enters the last five or six years of his career.

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If the Rockets don’t offer him a perceived fair contract in 2018, he could look for an opportunity somewhere else. Ariza is a great player, and he fits in well with the Houston Rockets. With that being said, if the Rockets have a misstep next season, Trevor Ariza’s name could be mentioned in trade rumors come February.