Veteran forward Trevor Ariza is headed to his fourth team this week as part of a three-team trade involving the Detroit Pistons, Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Ariza will be rerouted from Detroit to Oklahoma City in a deal that sends forward Justin Jackson to Oklahoma City, power forward James Johnson to the Mavericks and guard Delon Wright to the Pistons, sources said.
It is the third trade this week involving Ariza, who has played for nine teams in his 16-year NBA career. The Portland Trail Blazers sent Ariza along with two first-round picks to the Houston Rockets for forward Robert Covington. The Rockets rerouted Ariza and a first-round pick to Detroit in what turned into a sign-and-trade deal that allowed Houston to add center/power forward Christian Wood plus a protected future first-rounder. Then the Pistons passed Ariza ($12.8 million expiring contract) on to the Thunder.
Moving Wright and Jackson in return for Johnson opens a roster spot for the Mavs, which was Dallas’ primary motivation for the deal, sources said. The Mavericks also value the toughness of the 6-foot-7, 240-pound Johnson, whose $16 million expiring contract could be useful in future trade discussions.
The Thunder received an undisclosed draft pick from the Pistons in the deal along with Jackson, who averaged 5.5 points per game as a Mavs reserve last season and is due $5 million this season in the final year of his contract.
Wright, 28, who has two years worth $17.5 million remaining on his contract, has averaged 7.3 points and 2.9 assists for three teams in his career.
