L.A. Lakers: Why L.A. Needs Ariza as Much as Ariza needs L.A.

(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

It has been all smiles and parties for Lakers fans and players since the team won their 15^th championship.

But now, 18 days later, the party is coming to a halt, and for a few key Lakers, the party might be over altogether.

There are some big question marks on this particular L.A. team, namely Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, Trevor Ariza, and Phil Jackson.

Obviously, Bryant’s name looms large on that list. Bryant had the opportunity to opt out of his contract at the end of this season.

However, Lakers fans everywhere can now breathe easy about Bryant. ESPN has recently reported that Bryant would not opt out of his contract and was expected to sign a three-year extension, which would keep him with the Lakers for the next five years.

So that's one big name down; three more to go.

Phil Jackson is as responsible for the Lakers' success as any player perhaps more so. His Zen master techniques may not be orthodox (Kobe Bryant has stated that Jackson told the team before a game to be like frogs on a lily pad), but they work for L.A.

Still, Jackson has been plagued with health issues, and if he decides to retire, there is not much the rest of the Lakers organization can do.

This is not the case for Ariza and "Candyman" Odom.

Both players were vital to the Lakers' success in the playoffs, and both had contracts that expired at the end of this season.

Now ESPN is reporting that, while the Lakers are actively trying to resign Odom, they may let Ariza go.

This would be a huge mistake for both Ariza and the Lakers.

Ariza has played elsewhere, with the Magic and the Knicks, and was considered a "dude" in both places.

Meanwhile, he has thrived in L.A.

During the playoffs, Ariza played a key role on offense as someone who could shoot threes and drive to the hoop. But even more important to the team was his scrappy defense.

The Lakers benefited from Ariza’s aggression and speed, particularly his ability to create turnovers by stepping into passing lanes.

Sometimes, it looked as though the opposing teams were passing the ball to right to him.

More than any other, the Ariza play that is burned in the memory of every Lakers fan (and Nuggets fan) occurred in Game One against Denver.

With time winding down in the close game, Ariza stole the inbounds pass from Chauncey Billups, insuring Lakers’ victory. A steal at any time during a game is good, but doing it in the closing minutes of a Conference Finals game is great.

So why aren’t the Lakers acknowledging Ariza’s value?

That seems to be how the small forward feels.

Sources say that the Lakers are refusing to offer Ariza more than the mid-level exception—$5.6 million.

Economic times are tough, but since Ariza is apparently considering offers from other teams that would pay him similarly, the hang up seems to be more about respect than dollar signs.

It is hard to know exactly what is going on in the minds and bank accounts of the Lakers organization and Ariza, but one thing is certain.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?