Ty Lawson is free. (Seriously, there is no price tag.)

Good morning. Let’s basketball.

KEEP IT GOLDEN: Paul Flannery’s last Sunday Shootaround of the summer focused on how wonderful everything in the NBA is right now ... provided money battles between the league, and players don’t screw things up. Professor Flannery also says nice things about the Eastern Conference, which is rare to see in the wild. Plus there are quotes, links and much more. Check it out.

UN-TY THE KNOT: Denver shipped Ty Lawson to the Rockets for a protected first and three role players. Grabbing the first is being touted as a coup for Nuggets GM Tim Connelly, and it’s hard to disagree given that Lawson is currently in rehab after his second DUI in six months. Denver also has Emmanuel Mudiay to slide in as a starter; the Rockets have Patrick Beverley if Lawson’s availability is in question.

TODAY, REDEMPTION IS SPELLED D-E-R-O-N: Tim Cato on how the Mavericks offer Deron Williams a chance at redemption.

BIG POINTS: Ricky O’Donnell is on the recruiting tip and notes that tall point guards are coming through the ranks in full force. That’s the future of the position.

THE BET WORKED: Remember when K.J. McDaniels declined the Sixers’ classic deal for second-rounders, the four-year deal with the first two years guaranteed at just over the minimum, and two more years unguaranteed at the minimum? That deal is nice in that you get two years of NBA salary no matter what. What’s bad is that if you pan out, you aren’t getting anything close to market value until Year 5 ... and even then you’re a restricted free agent. Well, McDaniels declined to take that deal, and instead bet on himself with a one-year contract. The Sixers traded him midseason. Now he signed a three-year, $10 million deal with the Rockets. He’ll make as much next season as he would have over the next three years on the Hinkie deal. Good job, K.J.

OH NO: Carmelo Anthony tried to set the world record for most high-fives in a half-minute. He failed. Things are just not coming up Melo right now.

INTERESTING: Bobby Marks says that teams may struggle to use up all of their new cap space in 2016 due to a soft free agent class. As such, we may see a bunch of outsized one-year deals to get teams to the salary floor.

WHOA NOW: Mark Cuban wants 20 teams in the playoffs. I think ... I think I could live with that. Why not, right?

BEST SEASON EVER: Nice piece from Howard Megdal on the incredible Elena Della Donne, who is currently having the best basketball season perhaps ever. In the WNBA. Which she thinks you should be watching.

STOP EVERYTHING: Riley Curry, the avatar for cute kids everywhere, is doing the Nae Nae.

PRAYERS FOR SAGER.

HOT AIR: Noted NBA un-champion Charles Barkley cracks on LeBron’s epic finals series because Charles Barkley will bend any reality for a laugh.

MASCOT HATE, EXPLAINED: Robin Lopez explains his crusade against mascots.

HOLY SMOKES: Speaking of mascots, Toronto’s 2015 Pan Am Games mascot (an anthropomorphic porcupine named Pachi) has cost $383,045 to date.

NICE TRY, BUDDY: The ol’ free throw pump fake is not okay, pal.

BRIGHT MAGIC: Alex Wong on the bright future of the Magic.

LESPLASH JAMES: The Chosen One can drill shots from the bench, too.

GET IT HOW U LIVE: J.R. Smith plays better right after a new Lil Wayne release hits the streets.

CONGRATULATIONS TO KYLE ANDERSON ... Summer League’s MVP. Way to get after it, Kyle.

THE ART OF COACHING BOOGIE: Interesting Zach Lowe Q&A with Mike Malone on DeMarcus Cousins, Emmanuel Mudiay and Bosnian curse words.

NO CHILL: Dwyane Wade launches a wine label.

BEST DEVELOPMENT IN AGES: Timely New York Times Magazine story on the hottest new FM radio format: throwback hip hop. You can’t undersell the pure serendipity of clicking across the dial on a long drive and arriving at Biz Markie or Souls of Mischief or Mobb Deep. In Northern California we have 102.1 out of San Francisco. Oh, what I’d give to have that signal be stronger up in the Valley.

Happy Monday. See you next time.