Report: Trevor Ariza wanted an apology to consider Houston return

The Rockets seemingly had a recent opportunity to bring Ariza back, but he reportedly wasn’t interested without an apology.

The Houston Rockets reportedly had an opportunity to bring veteran forward Trevor Ariza back into the organization, but he wanted an apology that never came, according to a new report from The Athletic.

Ariza left the Rockets after the 2017-18 season, in which he was the starting small forward on a team with the NBA’s best record (65-17). The Rockets had Bird rights to retain him, but he left for the Phoenix Suns on a bloated one-year contract worth approximately $15 million. This past season, Ariza played in Sacramento and Portland.

According to The Athletic‘s Shams Charania, Sam Amick, and Kelly Iko, the Rockets at one point (it’s unclear exactly when) had an opportunity to bring the veteran defensive stopper back into the fold. However, Ariza apparently wanted “an apology that never came” and “more respect.”

From Wednesday night’s story, they write:

Former teammates have described the culture in Houston as problematic, sources said, highlighting a situation that caters far too much to its stars. One example cited was the case of Trevor Ariza, who left the team in 2018 in search of more money, but also more respect, sources said. The Rockets attempted to bring him back down the line but Ariza, sources said, was seeking an apology that never came.

Now 35 years old, Ariza averaged 8.0 points in 28.2 minutes per game with the Kings and Blazers last season.

Ariza’s contract for the upcoming 2020-21 season is only partially guaranteed, so he could potentially hit the market again. But unless outgoing GM Daryl Morey and head coach Mike D’Antoni were the extent of his frustrations, it doesn’t seem as if a Houston reunion is likely.

Ariza scored 0 points on 0-of-12 shooting in his final game in Houston — a home loss in Game 7 of the 2018 Western Conference Finals.

[lawrence-related id=40038,39968]

[vertical-gallery id=39560]