NBA Rumors: Kings to sign Ty Lawson
Free agent point guard Ty Lawson may have found a new home with the Sacramento Kings.
Ty Lawson had once been among the top point guards in the NBA. His 2011-15 seasons saw him average over 16 points per game and 6.5 assists per game for the Denver Nuggets.
However, offseason controversies and a trade to the Rockets did nothing good for the former UNC standout. He struggled mightily for Houston, and got bought out by the team in March. Patrick Beverly had been supplanted by Lawson to begin the season, but gained back his job for most of the season at point guard.
The 2016 offseason would see Lawson sit on the free agent market for nearly two months. He has found a home, though, with the Sacramento Kings on a one-year deal. This is according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.
Free agent guard Ty Lawson has agreed on a one-year deal with Sacramento, league sources tell @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 29, 2016
Lawson joins a Kings point guard situation that already features Darren Collison. Rajon Rondo started 72 games for the organization at that position, but had only been on a one-year deal. He left for the Chicago Bulls in free agency.
While Rondo’s numbers exceeded Lawson’s before he came to the Kings, this deal seems like the franchise is trying to strike lightning in a bottle for a second consecutive season. If they can get back the old Ty Lawson from 2011-15, it could be a home run move. If production matches 2015-16, though, then the Kings could cut bait.
The 2009 first round pick will join the likes of DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay in Sacramento. The team will also have a new look, as they selected five players in the 2016 NBA Draft. They’ll be looking for a playoff berth in a Western Conference that looks to be stacked for the upcoming season.
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We’ll see if Ty Lawson can return to form for the Kings in 2016-17. It’s a low risk, high reward deal.