Ty Lawson has not been behaving off the court lately, getting arrested twice for driving under the influence in less than six months. The Denver Nuggets may be looking to part ways with Lawson, especially after drafting point guard Emmanuel Mudiay with the No. 7 pick in the NBA Draft and watching him excel in summer league.
Here are three teams that both have the money, and the fit to acquire Lawson.
Indiana Pacers
The Pacers are clearly shifting to a small-ball, stretch-the-floor style of play and few point guards in the NBA are better equipped to run-and-gun than Ty Lawson. The Pacers have the cap space to absorb his contract, and they have just lost major frontcourt pieces in Roy Hibbert and David West.
A backcourt of penetrating guards like Lawson and Monta Ellis would be incredibly difficult to stop, especially with Paul George drawing defenders to the 3-point line and creating driving lanes. It’s unclear if the Pacers would have enough to give the Nuggets in return, but if Denver is simply done with Lawson this could happen.
Houston Rockets
Acquiring Lawson would require financial gymnastics, but few teams have more assets than Daryl Morey’s Rockets. They reached the Western Conference Finals last season, but the West re-loaded and some up-and-coming teams are ready to make noise.
James Harden is a bona fide superstar and Dwight Howard, when healthy, remains a destructive two-way player. Adding Lawson into the mix would create a monster of an offense, featuring Harden’s creativity and endless pick-and-rolls for Lawson and Howard. Lawson is not a sniper from the outside, but he does offer a shooting upgrade over Patrick Beverly as well.
Boston Celtics
The Celtics’ highest-paid player is free agent signing Amir Johnson, meaning Boston is in need of a star. They are loaded with young assets like Marcus Smart, James Young and 2015 pick Terry Rozier. They also have a slew of draft picks to send Denver’s way; Denver would be foolish not to consider a pick-laden offer since Lawson’s replacement is already on the roster.
[SI.com]
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