AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu
The Los Angeles Lakers have three games left in the season.
The Lakers are waiving veteran forward Trevor Ariza. One of the many Los Angeles players to be hobbled by injuries, the 36-year-old appeared in just 24 games this year.
In his 18th season, Ariza played just 19.3 minutes per game.
After signing with Los Angeles on a veteran's minimum contract in August, Ariza's season was derailed before it even began. He missed most of training camp with an ankle injury and had an operation in October that ruled him out for two months.
The Lakers had a disappointing season and the struggles of Ariza was just a small part of it. The team failed to qualify for the play-in tournament after coming into the year with expectations of competing for an NBA championship.
Los Angeles had to deal with the long absences of two of their best players, Anthony Davis and LeBron James.
Even though the Lakers were relatively healthy, they didn't find any consistency. The veteran-laden roster struggled to defend elite teams and couldn't match the energy levels of younger groups. Los Angeles lost to teams that were favored to win.
The Lakers are going to change their roster for next year. The open spot is likely to be used to bring in a young player who can fit in with James, Davis and Russell.
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