Trevor Ariza is going to play his first match for the Miami Heat.
Oklahoma City Thunder has traded its forward Trevor Ariza with Miami Heat for their forward Meyers Leonard.
He was taken in by the Thunders from Detroit Piston for the season. However, Trevor did not play a single match for Oklahoma.
Thunders had been already informed during the trade that the forward Player would not be able to play. Despite that, they choose to trade for the players who came within as he was a part of three-player trade.
Why did Trevor not play?
A spokesperson for Thunders had reported that “Ariza remains focused on the same family matters that kept him from attending the bubble with the Blazers,”
“The Thunder was made aware he would not be available when they acquired him and remain supportive of Ariza’s indefinite absence given the circumstance.”
Wing player was traded from Blazers to Houston Rockets than to Thunder as a part of a three-team trade.
Ariza holds the record for being the most traded player in NBA history.
The last time he was out on the court was on 10th March 2020.
Veteran wing is finally entering the court again. On 20th March 2021, he is re-debuting.
On his entry to the Miami Heat, Trevor said, “I always wanted to play for this franchise.
It’s just someplace I always wanted to be. Most of my family is here, so it’s exciting. I’m just ready to go out on the court and lace them up.”
Furthermore, he even reported his anxiousness about the safety guideline and protocols.
Not habituated to the twice-per-day testing and other rules, he said, “That’s the biggest adjustment I’m making. The on-court things are the easy part”.
Miami Heat too, is enthusiastic about getting Trever playing for them again.
Why did Ariza not attend NBA Bubble?
Ariza has been out of the league for almost a year now. Back in June, he chooses to sit out for family reasons. He did not return when the 2019-2020 season restarted in the NBA bubble.
Then he used to play for Portland Trail Blazers. The Player for the Blazers had been involved in a custody case over his son.
Lana Allen was trying to get restraining orders against him but agreed to a month-long visitation period.
The visitation period decided by the court collided with the time for the team’s quarantine period in the Disney bubble in Orlando.
So, Trevor chooses to stay back with his son. As per the safety guideline against Corona Virus, players were not allowed to bring anyone into the bubble.
The history between Ariza and the Heat
Trevor Ariza was born in Miami. The Player Had made his entry to the NBA through the New York Knicks. Even though one of his pre-draft interviews was with Miami, the Knicks drafted him.
After playing for more than ten teams, he finally got his chance to play for his home team.
Exclaiming his match with the Miami team, Trevor said, “I just feel like it matches my style of person. I work hard, extremely hard worker.
What you see is what you get. I’m not going to beat around the bush about anything. I think that’s pretty much what the Heat have shown.”
For his re-entry, Ariza has been training with the team. He likes what it is like in the Miami Heat.
He reported, “I think it’s pretty cut and dry. They let me know exactly what it is that I need to do, my spots. The players have been great, as far as bringing me along and catching me up to what they do here.
Adding up, he said, “That they play hard every possession. Any time anybody is on the court, they play hard, they hold each other accountable for mistakes, not to get on anybody, but just to make sure that the team is growing and going in the right direction.”
Leonard’s Not Playing for Thunders
Meyers Leonard made it to the headlines on the first week of March following his anti-Semitic slurs.
It was then reported that he was suspended indefinitely from the team. A fine of $50000 too was imposed on him.
Now, the Miami Heat had traded him off to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Ex-Blazer was traded for Trevor Ariza, who too is an ex-Blazer.
Meyers had a two-year no-trade contract with the Heat. But following the Anti-Semitic issue, he had to wave it off as an act of goodwill.
Although he is traded into the Thunder, he will not be playing for them. Neither will he be an active member of the team.
In February, the center/forward player had to undergo shoulder surgery. He has only played three matches in the entire season and is not expected to play anymore either.
