FILE — Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat reaches for the ball against Trevor Ariza #8 of the Portland Trail Blazers in the fourth quarter during their game at Moda Center on February 09, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. Abbie Parr/Getty Images/AFP
In the final hour before Wednesday night’s NBA Draft, the Houston Rockets traded forward Trevor Ariza and the No. 16 overall selection in exchange for a future first-round pick, ESPN reported.
According to the report, the deal would allow the Rockets the ability to use their mid-level exemption to work a free-agent deal. The report also says that the Rockets will purchase the Pistons’ second-round pick in next year’s draft for $4.6 million.
Ariza, 35, was a second-round draft pick in 2004 out of UCLA and has turned that into a 17-year career while playing for nine different teams.
Ariza averaged 8.0 points and 4.6 rebounds in 53 games last season while splitting the campaign between the Sacramento Kings and Portland Trail Blazers. He averaged 11.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 21 games for Portland after being acquired in January.
In 1,064 career games, Ariza has averaged 10.5 points with 4.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists. He already was traded from the Trail Blazers to the Rockets this week in a deal that sent forward Robert Covington to Portland.