Coming off a season in which they dispatched of the Orlando Magic in five games in the 2009 NBA Finals, the Los Angeles Lakers faced notable personnel decisions. Most notably with Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom.
Ariza emerged as a key contributor for the Lakers during their run to a championship, and Odom was their do-it-all sixth man. While he was ultimately re-signed, Ariza’s spot with the Lakers quickly went to Ron Artest after negotiations stalled.
Artest left the Houston Rockets for a five-year contract with Los Angeles in what essentially turned into a trade. Ariza went on to agree to a five-year deal with the Rockets.