Lakers News: Trevor Ariza Waived by LA After Being Eliminated from Playoff Contention

The Los Angeles Lakers are already beginning their roster teardown with three games left in the season.

The Lakers announced Thursday that they are waiving veteran forward Trevor Ariza. The 36-year-old appeared in just 24 games this year as one of the many Los Angeles players to be hobbled by injuries.

In his 18th season, Ariza averaged just 4.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 19.3 minutes per game.

After signing with Los Angeles on a veteran's minimum contract in August, Ariza's season was derailed before it even began. He missed most of training camp with an ankle injury before undergoing an arthroscopic procedure in October that ruled him out for two months.

Ariza's struggle to stay healthy was just a small part of the Lakers' disappointing season. After coming into the year with expectations of competing for an NBA championship, the team failed to even qualify for the play-in tournament.

Los Angeles had to deal with the prolonged absences of star players LeBron James and Anthony Davis, who both missed extensive time throughout the season due to various injuries.

But even in the rare stretches that the Lakers were relatively healthy, they failed to find any amount of consistency. The veteran-laden roster struggled to defend elite teams and couldn't match the energy levels of younger groups. Los Angeles blew multiple big leads and suffered disappointing losses to teams it was favored to defeat.

Waiving Ariza is the first step for the Lakers towards revamping its roster for next year. The open spot will likely be used to bring in a young player who can fit alongside James, Davis and Russell Westbrook.