Ty Lawson's short time in Houston may be coming to an end. The seven-year veteran is working on a buyout with the Rockets, according to The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Rockets, Ty Lawson working on a buyout, per report
Lawson didn’t turn out to be the upgrade the Rockets needed and now they are ready to cut him loose.
Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports
The Rockets tried to find a taker for Lawson before the trade deadline to no avail, according to multiple reports. The almost $12 million he’s making in the final year of his contract surely played a big part in making a deal hard to reach. At one point, Lawson was a bargain at that price, but his struggles both on and off the court in the past few years have killed his perceived value.
Lawson arrived in Houston after being traded by the Denver Nuggets following a DUI incident, his second in 2015. It made no sense for Denver to keep him after selecting Emmanuel Mudiay with the seventh overall pick in the 2015 draft. For the Rockets, he was a reasonable gamble, as they only had to trade fringe players and a protected first-round pick for a player that had been a borderline All-Star for years.
Lawson had no reported off-court issues in Houston, but never fit in well in the offense next to the ball-dominant James Harden. He’s averaging a career-low six points and five assists per game while shooting 39 percent from the field and playing only 23 minutes per game. The Rockets, meanwhile, have largely disappointed after making the conference finals last season.
A change of scenery didn’t do Lawson much good the first time, but in the right system, he could still have value. He is a career 16-point, seven-assist player, so an optimistic front office will surely give him another chance.
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