NBA News: Miami Heat Landed Journeyman Seven Years After First Free-Agency Pitch

Trevor Ariza's season averages of 8.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists are not attractive if you're a casual NBA fan.

But for Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, the veteran wing man brings a critical dynamic to both ends of the floor for the defending Eastern Conference champions.

"His versatility is so critical for this team. It’s not underrated at all for us…he just unlocks so much of our versatility,” Spoelstra said via Heat.com.

A glue guy who has seen action for 10 NBA franchises, Ariza opened up in a recent one-on-one about how the Heat had kept an eye on him since the 2014 summer free agency.

"I wanted to be here then," Ariza told Heat.com's Joe Beguiristain about Miami's impressive pitch to have the defender on board.

"The thing that I could remember is how great [Heat president Pat Riley] wanted everything to be as far as like, even going into preparation to going into offseason training, how hard this organization worked to be first class and to be winners, and that was something that I just fell in love with."

The Heat sought Ariza's services as perhaps to fortify the roster's wing rotation, or to prepare a backup plan in case one of the squad's then-Big Three—LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh—walks away.

Coincidentally, just days after, James announced his return to the Cleveland Cavaliers after delivering two titles to the Heat franchise.

Aside from the Heat and Cavaliers, the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers were reportedly chasing Ariza, who had just become an unrestricted free agent following a stint with Washington.

Ariza had an asking price of $11 million per year at the time. Ultimately, he moved to the Houston Rockets via a three-team sign-and-trade which also included the New Orleans Pelicans.

Best known for his stint with the Lakers where he won two championship rings, Ariza finally had an opportunity to suit up for Miami when the Oklahoma City Thunder traded him for Meyers Leonard.

"It didn’t work out the way that we both probably wanted it to [in 2014], but I’m here now, and I got the opportunity to be here at this point," Ariza shared.

If the sixth-seeded Heat are going to make a deep postseason run in the East yet again, it will partly be thanks to a partnership that was seven years in the making.