In a massive loss for the Portland Trail Blazers, small forward Trevor Ariza will not be playing when the season resumes in Orlando.
NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski dropped a massive bomb on the Portland Trail Blazers fanbase today when he tweeted that veteran small forward Trevor Ariza would not be participating in the NBA’s season resumption in Orlando in August.
Portland Trail Blazers forward Trevor Ariza is opting-out of participation in the NBA’s Orlando restart of the season, committing instead to a one-month visitation window with his young son, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 22, 2020
Woj went on to say that the 16-year veteran Ariza was locked in a custody battle with the mother of his 12-year old son. He was granted a one-month visitation with his son, and then decided to make the call to spend the month in concern with his son.
With no families allowed on the NBA Orlando campus until the playoffs, there is no option for Ariza or players in similar situations to house family with them.
Washington Wizards forward Davis Bertans has also declined to play in the season return. This could become a trend for the NBA, where players opt not to play dependent on contract or personal situations.
This is a massive loss for the Blazers though. Ariza is the only wing that can guard the big wing threats like LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George. We can understand Ariza’s decision, but it now puts the Blazers in a tough situation where they have to find a replacement on the free-agent market.
Gary Trent Jr probably steps into the vacant three-man spot for now. But they will need to get someone with more size who can be a backup for the small-forward position also.
Hopefully, Ariza is the only Blazers player who decides to opt-out of playing in Orlando. This team is already short on depth and will rely heavily on the returning Zach Collins and Jusuf Nurkic when they get to Orlando.
For now, keep an eye on the free-agent market. The Blazers still have one spare roster spot.