Lakers: 50 Greatest Players in Franchise History
By Eric Yee
46. Trevor Ariza
The first current player to crack this list (though he no hasn’t suited up in Los Angeles for over five years), Trevor Ariza comes in at a solid No. 46. The forward played a season and a half for the franchise, both of which the Lakers found themselves playing in the NBA Finals. Though they only won one title, the then young Ariza played a vital role in their success.
Ariza, who was only 22 years old when he first became a member of the organization, immediately carved out a role for himself on the team when he arrived via trade during the 2007-08 season. He would go on to play 106 career games with the Lakers, logging 23 starts over that span. For his career with the team, he averaged 8.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and an impressive 1.7 steals per game.
While Ariza may have carved out a role for himself in his current form as a three-and-D type of player, he was mostly just a defensive stopper for the Lakers when he was still in the early stages of his career. That being said, his defending was wildly important to the success of those teams and earns him a spot in the rankings.
Next: No. 45 Hot Rod