HOUSTON – Veteran swingman Trevor Ariza is leaving the Houston Rockets for a one-year, $15 million deal with Phoenix Suns, per various media reports.
Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports was the first to report the news.
Ariza -- who just turned 33-years-old on Saturday -- had been a starter for the Rockets each of the past four seasons.
He averaged 11.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per game this past year, while shooting nearly 37% from three-point range.
While Ariza infamously went 0-for-12 from the field in Houston's Game Seven loss to to the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals, he's still widely considered one of the top perimeter defenders in the league. Ariza's ability on defense and guard multiple positions was an integral part of the Rockets' deep postseason run.
Ariza made $7.8 million this past season with Houston, and is now nearly doubling that total by joining Phoenix.
With Houston already committing big money to their All-Star backcourt of James Harden and Chris Paul, the Rockets could not match the Suns' offer for Ariza.
As the only Rocket with a championship ring (won with the 2009 Los Angeles Lakers), Ariza's veteran presence and locker room leadership will certainly be missed.