Ty Lawson Signs One-Year Deal With Kings
The Sacramento Kings added some much-needed depth to the point guard position Sunday, as Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reported the signing of free agent guard Ty Lawson to a one-year deal.
Lawson, 28, spent the first half of last season with the Houston Rockets, where his relationship with his teammates - especially all-star James Harden - turned sour. After agreeing to a buyout in late February, he then signed with the Indiana Pacers where he played in 13 games (12 from off the bench) and the first round of the playoffs.
Before spending time in Houston, Lawson was a widely successful starting point guard in Denver under former Kings coach George Karl. From 2011-12 to 2014-15 with the Nuggets, he averaged 16.4 points, eight assists, 1.4 steals and three rebounds per game.
Compare that to last season (5.7 points, 3.6 assists 0.8 steals and 1.8 rebounds per game), and it's safe to say he's excited for the open opportunity to flourish in Sacramento next season:
Despite being signed back onto an NBA team with a real shot of becoming a starting point guard, Lawson carries a history of driving under the influence and causing issues off the court.
In 2008 while playing for the University of North Carolina, he plead guilty of underage drinking and driving. Then, in 2015, Lawson was arrested for driving under the influence again while playing for Denver. The following July, he was arrested again in Los Angeles for suspicion of DUI, earning himself a second suspension by the NBA in just one season.
Lawson will join projected starter Darren Collison, as well as Arron Afflalo, Ben McLemore, Garrett Temple and Malachi Richardson in the group of guards new coach Dave Joerger will have in his arsenal.
If he can turn his career around this season, much like Rajon Rondo did with the Kings last season, Lawson may finally be the point guard they've been searching for.