Ariza's return to the Lakers did not go as planned for either he or the franchise, as they will not be headed to the postseason. The veteran forward did not offer much in the way of fantasy value this season, so his early exit won't have an impact in that regard, either. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Lakers intend to convert the contract of a younger player ahead of Sunday's deadline. Wenyen Gabriel and Mason Jones are the team's current two-way contract recipients. 

Ariza was in the starting lineup Tuesday night, likely for defensive reasons. The two steals were nice, but outside of that statistic, the veteran wing did not offer much in the way of value. The man he replaced in the starting lineup, Stanley Johnson, ended up having his best offensive showing of the season to date. Johnson shot 7-of-13 from the field and 1-of-3 from the foul line, scoring a season-high 16 points to go along with six rebounds, one assist, and one 3-pointer in 26 minutes. With the Lakers in need of scoring, it was Johnson who was on the court during the team's fourth-quarter rally. Who starts Wednesday's game in Portland remains to be seen, but neither Ariza nor Johnson has been consistent enough to merit being rostered in most leagues. 

The Lakers are making another change to their starting lineup, with Ariza replacing Stanley Johnson. Ariza has a better chance of offering up a few 3-pointers, but there isn't much need to roster either in any fantasy league. 

Whether he’s starting or coming off the bench, Ariza’s minutes have rarely exceeded the 20-minute mark this season, and only once has he cracked double-figures in the scoring column. The 36-year-old veteran is well past his days of relevancy in fantasy hoops, and safe to leave on the waiver wire in all formats.