Ex-Laker Ariza speaks out on M&H Show today (7-6-09)

[KobeFan]

Are you guys really that hollow that you believe Ariza didn't know the details that went on during negotiations?

The agent works for the player, and you best believe the agent relays every single detail back to the player on every offer.

Ariza has the final decision on EVERY offer.

It's industry standard to blame all money-related discussion on the agent, in an attempt to keep as many fans as possible.

[YiYaoYue]

Are you guys really that hollow that you believe Ariza didn't know the details that went on during negotiations?

The agent works for the player, and you best believe the agent relays every single detail back to the player on every offer.

Ariza has the final decision on EVERY offer.

It's industry standard to blame all money-related discussion on the agent, in an attempt to keep as many fans as possible.

It isn't the agent's job to be a puppet. His job is to negotiate correctly. Threatening the organization through the media and asking for ridiculous offers is not what good agents do. Anyway if he's being honest, I'm happy for Ariza getting paid and going where he has no regrets.

If Ariza ends up not fitting with Houston and loses his value significantly.. then the agent didn't do his job for sure.

[iQon]

Everybody knew Ariza had little (I'm sure Lee put a battery in his back at some point) to nothing to do with this fiasco. I've moved on though. I'm pretty optimistic about the new short term roster right now with Artest.

We all should be. Kupchak deserves that benefit at this point.

[LAKESHOW]

Are you guys really that hollow that you believe Ariza didn't know the details that went on during negotiations?

The agent works for the player, and you best believe the agent relays every single detail back to the player on every offer.

Ariza has the final decision on EVERY offer.

It's industry standard to blame all money-related discussion on the agent, in an attempt to keep as many fans as possible.

true, but the tactics are all the agents scheme and plan. and lets take arizas word for it in regards to him not knowin a whole lot. now the dollars as you mentioned sure, we can probably agree that he knew the dollar figures. but the tactics are all LEES. the approach was all LEES. i also think however, that lee or ariza OR BOTH underestimated our firing power. now i tend to say it was lee, due to weve seen this movie before. this track record. his tactics. and that is to play hardball. and to play hardball through the media. he did that last time around with bynum. and with that track record, it does lead one to believe that LEE had alot more to do with it, than ariza. (historically speaking that is)

[TonyMontana]

Who wants to bet that Ariza will go back to the old Ariza once he puts on the Rockets Jersey.
The Lakers Phil and Kobe made Ariza and now that he is not in LA and he will be playing in Houston he will realize what he lost playing for LA.

[miggs]

I'm sorry guys but i disagree with most of you. It's incorrect to believe Ariza had no idea what happened and settled for Houston. If he REALLY wanted to stay here, he would've fired his agent or handled the negotiations better, ala Bynum. Ariza and Lee BOTH made a MONUMENTAL mistake and we will all see Ariza's value plummet like GMs!

Mitch made a smart move pickin up Artest instead. That is an upgrade. I hate to lose Ariza but i can't convince myself that he simply got f'd by his agent. That's just a load of bull. Ariza let this happen.

[miggs]

HOWEVER, i do wish Ariza the best but i don't think he can flourish as well as he did in the triangle with these Lakers.

[TonyMontana]

I'm sorry guys but i disagree with most of you. It's incorrect to believe Ariza had no idea what happened and settled for Houston. If he REALLY wanted to stay here, he would've fired his agent or handled the negotiations better, ala Bynum. Ariza and Lee BOTH made a MONUMENTAL mistake and we will all see Ariza's value plummet like GMs!

Mitch made a smart move pickin up Artest instead. That is an upgrade. I hate to lose Ariza but i can't convince myself that he simply got f'd by his agent. That's just a load of bull. Ariza let this happen.

Yup, he knew what Lee did for Bynum and what he was all about even during mid season. So its not like he hired him at the end of the season. It back fired in Arizas face and now he claims he had no knowledge about what was going on.

[miggs]

I'm sorry guys but i disagree with most of you. It's incorrect to believe Ariza had no idea what happened and settled for Houston. If he REALLY wanted to stay here, he would've fired his agent or handled the negotiations better, ala Bynum. Ariza and Lee BOTH made a MONUMENTAL mistake and we will all see Ariza's value plummet like GMs!

Mitch made a smart move pickin up Artest instead. That is an upgrade. I hate to lose Ariza but i can't convince myself that he simply got f'd by his agent. That's just a load of bull. Ariza let this happen.

Yup, he knew what Lee did for Bynum and what he was all about even during mid season. So its not like he hired him at the end of the season. It back fired in Arizas face and now he claims he had no knowledge about what was going on.

EXACTLY! Ima miss Ariza but i smell some fishy behavior on his part so im glad we upgraded to Artest. Don't worry guys, we're stronger than last season already! (with Odom in the picture that is lol)

Fish/Brown/Farmar (TRADE FARMAR)
Bryant/Vujacic/Morrison
Artest/Odom/Walton/Morrison (LET'S GIVE MORRISON A FAIR SHOT, Y NOT?)
Pau/Odom/Powell
Bynum/Pau/Mbenga

[Anklebreaker702]

Are you guys really that hollow that you believe Ariza didn't know the details that went on during negotiations?

The agent works for the player, and you best believe the agent relays every single detail back to the player on every offer.

Ariza has the final decision on EVERY offer.

It's industry standard to blame all money-related discussion on the agent, in an attempt to keep as many fans as possible.

It isn't the agent's job to be a puppet. His job is to negotiate correctly. Threatening the organization through the media and asking for ridiculous offers is not what good agents do. Anyway if he's being honest, I'm happy for Ariza getting paid and going where he has no regrets.

If Ariza ends up not fitting with Houston and loses his value significantly.. then the agent didn't do his job for sure.

It's also the agents job to take those types of things into consideration not just I got you the most money I could. Ariza should realize through Bynum's negotiations he doesn't have that type of agent.

The only reason that deal got done was becasue AB17 told him I want to be here, get the deal done. This is why people call him a scumbag agent.

If Trev gets over the & is unhappy & his stock falls as Yi stated all his agent will say is hey I got you the money you asked for.

[Gus McCrae]

Great article here about David Lee's negotiating tactics

http://www.forumblueandgold.com/2009/07 ... ed-by-few/


My favorite part:

"Your client is a role player one year removed from a season ending foot fracture. (There are well-reported fears of a congential foot defect). Your client was a bench player for half the season and his highest points per game was not double digits. Yet he has certain advantages:

1. His team has just won the championship and the GM has stated publicly that his intention is to re-sign your client (You sneered at such weak negotiation skills)

2. Your client is a native of the city, with family and friends.

3. The system the team plays is a perfect fit for your client, who cannot create his own shot

4. Your client is part of a tight community. His teammates and coaches love him and vice versa

6. Your client wants to continue to play for the team

7. The team is the marquee team in the league, playing in a top 2 market, for the champion. Your client will never have more chances to maximize his celebrity into endorsement money.

8. Contrary to how you are spinning it your client, not the burly guy with the words in his hair, was option A , not option B.

Thus, even during the worst bear market for free agents - a buyer’s market - the team is willing to pay your client more than any other team.

And you still can’t get the deal done. Instead, your client has to sign for a team out of contention in now his fourth state (you know that it is hot and humid in Houston right?) for less money than he was offered by the Lakers. This takes a special skill. Your client should have stayed home with family and friends, playing for a champion, in the spotlight, and for more money. But you blew it."

[milesfides]

You guys are looking way too deep into this.

Between Ariza and Artest, Lakers wanted Artest. It's simple as that.

Lakers treated Ariza as a restricted free agent because they were talking with Artest at the same time. Several reports state that Mitch never offered Ariza a deal at all.

That pissed off Ariza and his agent.

The problem was that Ariza's agent loves talking publicly, and complaining to the media gave the Lakers a visible excuse to cut Ariza and sign Artest.

Ariza looked greedy and his agent looked like a tool because the leverage, in effect a response, was rendered a pretext, because only the Lakers, Artest and his agent knew about the secret negotiations.

Some of you guys think that if Ariza and his agent played it right, he'd be a Laker.

I highly doubt it.

Between Ariza and Artest, for anywhere close to the same price, you take Artest every time.

There's always the tricky problem of public relations (loyalty to Ariza, fan following), but when Ariza's agent does his shtick, as he did with Bynum, Mitch didn't hesitate to emplay him.

[kevin_405]

The agent though that the media and the fans would force the managements hand into giving a better deal to Ariza ..

Actually after Bynums lopside deal and tasteless negotiations all the fans hate David Lee period.. and his going to the media actually pushed the management to pursue Artest.

Ariza with similar game on a non championship team would have got the MLE max.. why do we have to pay more.. Artest is far more talented than Ariza and he is taking MLE, Big Baby will probably get MLE.. so why is 10 pts a game worth more than 5 million..

The fans understand we are well over the cap so nobody would not have blamed Mitch or buss for not signing either or both LO and Ariza..


While we are at it Do we thank Bynum for getting us Artest ..

I heard the interview also, it was a classic example of an inexperienced agent trying to play hard ball with one of the pillar franchises in the history of sports. I feel sorry for Trev because we KNEW he didn't want to leave but his agent clearly put him in a bad spot. Lee's "running to the media" tactics blew up right in his face.

Trying to play Trev as the victim and the Lakers as the villain was mistake number one, especially when the Lakers have a set precedent as being a franchise to pay it's own and will pay to get others here. You could tell Trev had no answers for what happened..........and that's what's so sad.

[kevin_405]

Does anyone have the Audio link please ...

[Sedale Threatt]

In the story published by the L.A. Times, Artest says that Kupchak called his agent at 12:01 a.m., the absolute earliest teams could begin contacting free agents. If so, that's irrefutable proof that the Lakers were more interested in Ron than Ariza all along, and his banishment to Houston didn't have any connection to anything his agent did or didn't do.

[hermes]

Ariza loyalty is w/ his freakin agent and not w/ his hometown team...

WTF

also to his family, which is understandable