If you missed free agent Trevor Ariza on the radio this afternoon, you didn’t miss much. Ariza was interviewed by A Martinez and Steve Lavin on KSPN-710. They tossed a few softballs Ariza’s way and he did his best to answer. Nothing earth-shattering.

“It’s a business,” Ariza said, acknowledging the negotiating process. “It’s a business and I have to do what I have to do. It’s exciting. I’m learning a lot as I go.”

Asked if he would agree to a $50-million deal to stay with the Lakers, Ariza laughed and said, “I’d jump on that in a heartbeat.”

Asked if he considered Phil Jackson to be the greatest coach in NBA history, Ariza said, “In my eyes, he’ll always be the best because he’s the first coach to give me a chance to play (regularly) in the NBA.”

Asked about Kobe Bryant’s comment that reporters shouldn’t worry about Bryant’s future with the Lakers but should focus instead on new deals for Ariza and Lamar Odom, which would make the team stronger, Ariza said, “It means a lot to me. I appreciate it.”