NBA Trade Rumors: Five potential destinations for Ty Lawson
Of all the potential Ty Lawson deals, this is a deal that could be one that really is two teams helping the other out. The Phoenix Suns don’t really need another point guard, let alone one with effort issues. They do, however, potentially have a deal to make here, if it could help Phoenix get rid of their own problem child in Markieff Morris.
Everyone knows by now the saga of Markieff Morris and the Phoenix Suns. Could these two teams work out a deal that would net Phoenix Lawson’s contract, which isn’t guaranteed next year, and a future asset for a trade? General manager Ryan McDonough is a disciple of Danny Ainge in Boston, and has been collecting assets ever since he came to Phoenix.
Markieff Morris isn’t a bad player. He’s shown that he can be a good player in this league, but his fit doesn’t really seem to gel with the style of play that the Phoenix Suns run in a two-point guard system. They need shooters at the power forward position, and have been pretty good when Mirza Teletovic and Jon Leuer are out there to space. Markieff is still trying to find consistency with the deep ball, but he is a good mid-range shooter.
In Houston, Markieff Morris would be a very good fit next to Dwight Howard. Howard would take the paint per usual and Morris could have his room to shoot his mid-range jumpers. Remember when the Rockets chased after LaMarcus Aldridge and failed? Well, Morris has always been an Aldridge-lite of sorts, and plays a very similar game.
While some of these other deals might be a struggle for the Rockets, because they wouldn’t be getting good players in return, dealing for Markieff Morris would probably make them willing to give up an asset for him, if they believe that he can be effective with the Rockets.
The reason the Suns do it is simple. They can finally move on from the Markieff Morris saga, pick up an asset in return, which Ryan McDonough likes to collect and hopefully continue to gel as a team trying to make the playoffs for the first time in since Steve Nash was in Phoenix.
To make it work, Phoenix would have to throw in one smaller contract, such as a Ronnie Price or an Archie Goodwin, if Houston budges enough. A deal would have to wait until December 15, in that instance. So essentially a deal of Morris and Price for Lawson and a future first-round pick.
Of all the deals, this one might be the simplest one for the Houston Rockets to make. It solves a problem for both teams.
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