Getty Phoenix Suns forward Trevor Ariza against LeBron James
It seems that the Washington Wizards’ trade to acquire Trevor Ariza from the Phoenix Suns may not be completely dead after all. Not yet at least, as there’s some reason for optimism moving forward. After the reported deal fell apart, a shining light of hope came to the surface.
According to The Athletic’s David Aldridge, Suns owner Robert Sarver and Grizzlies owner Robert Pera linked up to speak about the deal.
Last thing: another source says this reached ownership, with Sarver and Grizz owner Robert Pera talking w/each other. And the name they discussed was Dillon. So: no guarantees, of course, but the smart money is on this deal getting resurrected in some form, quickly.
The interest in Dillon Brooks, who was the key piece that led to this deal falling apart, is unquestionably high for the Suns, as he was the topic of discussion here. Obviously, when a trade gets as far as this one did, it’s hard to envision the talks just vanishing into thin air over something like this.
With that said, the Suns and Grizzlies both seem to be set on their stance relating to this situation. For those who missed it, the deal got turned on its head when the Grizzlies believed they were dealing MarShon Brooks, but the Suns thought they were getting Dillon Brooks. In turn, the Wizards believed they had struck a three-team deal for Ariza, only for confusion from the two other teams to result in its destruction.
Original Agreed Upon Trade
The deal was first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, and even at that point, there was confusion over the Brooks situation. But the original deal featured Ariza going to the Wizards, Kelly Oubre to the Memphis Grizzlies and Austin Rivers, MarShon/Dillon Brooks and Wayne Selden heading to the Suns.
As you can see below, Wojnarowski cited the original trade but pointed to “two Grizzlies role players” at first. He followed that tweet up by first stating it was Dillon Brooks and Wayne Selden, but then clarified that it was MarShon Brooks.
Clarify: MarShon Brooks, not Dillon.
Although it’s unlikely that this flips back to the original deal, there’s a chance that if another piece gets put in, or if the Suns agree to MarShon, this could happen. Unfortunately for the Wizards, Phoenix seems to be locked on getting Dillon.
We’ll update as additional information is revealed. As things currently stand, there’s no clear end in sight for this trade that results in the deal immediately getting done. Regardless of how this all plays out, a strong argument can be made that it was one of the wildest NBA trade situations in recent history.
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